The international project POI FEB RAS – ISTEE VAST has become the winner of a joint competition between the Russian Science Foundation and the Vietnamese Academy of Sciences and Technologies

The results of a joint competition between the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) and the Vietnamese Academy of Sciences and Technologies (VAST) have been summed up. The competition is held to support international Russian-Vietnamese research teams and strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of fundamental and applied research.

According to the results of the independent expertise of both countries, the top 10 international projects received financial support. The winners included a joint project of the V.I. Ilichev Pacific Oceanological Institute of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Science and Technology for Energy and Environment of the Vietnamese Academy of Sciences and Technology (ISTEE VAST). The project title is "Comprehensive assessment of the ecological status and resource potential of the Gulf of Tonkin (South China Sea) based on the integration of field geological and geochemical studies and remote sensing data", its duration is 2027-2029. The project manager on the Russian side is Nadezhda Sergeevna Syrbu, PhD, Head of the Laboratory of Integrated Research of Environment and Mineral Resources at the POI FEB RAS, and Do Van Man (ISTEE VAST), on the Vietnamese side. 

The project is a joint Russian-Vietnamese study aimed at a comprehensive assessment of the ecological status and resource potential of the Gulf of Tonkin (South China Sea). The main focus is on studying natural methane emissions, its transport by sea currents and its impact on climate, as well as assessing the accumulation of critical metals (lithium, nickel, cobalt) in bottom sediments for the production of lithium-ion batteries. Additionally, studies of microplastics and persistent organic pollutants are being conducted. The results will help improve hydrocarbon forecasting methods, assess the potential for green energy, and develop recommendations for sustainable management of marine ecosystems. 

Congratulations to our colleagues and wish you success in the implementation of the project!