London hopes to connect excellent research groups from the UK and Vietnam to implement scientific research that may bring great results, with British official development assistance (ODA) funding for a number of countries, including Vietnam, according to the British Embassy in Hanoi.

The ODA funding worth £218 million (US$269 million) is intended for scientific cooperation between the UK and several countries of low and middle income, including Vietnam, UK Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew said recently.

Ambassador Frew expressed his hope that the funding would help researcher groups and outstanding universities and research institutes from the UK and Vietnam carry out research projects that can achieve great outcomes only through international cooperation. 

Such projects will cover various fields, from antibiotic resistance to sustainable aquaculture and energy transition, the diplomat said.

He added that the UK and Vietnam have already built a foundation for scientific cooperation through the Newton Fund and the Global Challenges Research Fund.

The funding is part of a total ODA amount of £337 million ($415 million) earmarked for the same cooperation between UK and its international partners from now until 2025, as announced at a meeting between British Minister of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology George Freeman and ASEAN General Secretary Kao Kim Hourn in London last Thursday.

This ODA amount is sourced from the UK’s International Science Partnership Fund (ISPF), which supports collaboration between British researchers and innovators and their peers from around the world, focusing on four main topics: environment, health, new technology, and human resource training. 

In addition to the aforementioned funding, Minister Freeman has announced a number of cooperation programs, also funded by ISPF, between the UK and ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, in the near future.

As part of these programs, the UK Medical Research Council is in discussions with Southeast Asian partners about a £21 million ($26 million) project for research into infectious diseases, pandemic responses, and antibiotic resistance.

The budget also includes £9 million ($11 million) for collaborative research and £2.5 million ($3 million) for young researcher training intended for Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

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