Three scientists were honoured at the Ta Quang Buu Awards, which is held annually to honour exceptional basic scientific researches, at a ceremony in Hanoi on May 18.

The three winners include Prof. Dr Nguyen Van Hieu from the International Training Institute for Materials Science under the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Ass. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Minh from the Hanoi University of Science, and Dr. Phung Van Dong from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology.

44-year-old Nguyen Van Hieu was honoured for his work titled ‘Design of SnO2/ZnO hierarchical nanostructures for enhanced ethanol gas-sensing performance’.

His work was published in 2012 on the Sensors & Actuators, B: Chemical - an interdisciplinary journal dedicated to covering research and development in the field of chemical sensors, actuators and microsystems.

Nguyen Ngoc Minh, 37, was acknowledged for his work on ‘Release of potassium accompanying the dissolution of rice straw phytolith’, which was introduced in the scientific journal Chemosphere in 2015.

Meanwhile, the work on ‘3-3-1-1 model for dark matter’ by Phung Van Dong was highly appreciated for its contribution to explaining physical structure and energy of the universe.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh congratulated the three scientists on receiving the award, expressing his hope that they would make further contributions to the country’s development.

Launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2014, the award is named after famous Vietnamese scientist Professor Ta Quang Buu (1910-1986).

It honours individuals and groups who have gained outstanding achievements in science-technology research and published excellent scientific research papers in prestigious international journals.

The awards aim to promote basic scientific research as well as the development of science and technology in Vietnam.