WELLINGTON, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Thirteen young scientists across 21 APEC member economies have been nominated for this year's APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education, or ASPIRE, the APEC Policy Partnership for Science, Technology, and Innovation announced on Wednesday.
This year's ASPIRE emphasizes the theme of "Diverse Knowledge for a Sustainable Future", selected by New Zealand as the host of APEC 2021. It is aimed at focusing on researcher insights from indigenous and ethnic minority cultures and communities to help inform new frontiers in science, technology and innovation.
Scientists nominated for this year's prize advance excellent scientific discoveries in diverse areas of knowledge aiming to create a sustainable future. They are also actively engaged in international collaboration with peer scientists in the region to promote and improve their work.
"Research by these scientists highlights the importance of international collaboration and learning from indigenous communities to advance our understanding of complex global challenges, such as health crises and climate change," said Daniel Dufour, Chair of the APEC Policy Partnership for Science, Technology, and Innovation, which administers the annual ASPIRE.
"We are pleased to showcase the talent of these important researchers who are working towards a sustainable future for all APEC economies," Dufour added.
The winner will be announced at a virtual ceremony during a series of meetings hosted by New Zealand in August and will be awarded 25,000 U.S. dollars from Wiley and Elsevier, two of the world's leading publishers of scholarly scientific knowledge.
Work carried out by the 2021 nominees includes studies related to linking sustainable food production systems with human nutrition and health; utilizing indigenous fruit in Indonesia to treat typhoid patients and fight antibiotic resistance; and efforts to rebuild indigenous data compilations for population statistics, health and economic data.
Since its establishment in 2011, ASPIRE has recognized young scientists working on issues ranging from natural laboratories, food security, sustainable ocean development, biodiversity, strengthening international science and technology networks and promoting innovation. Enditem
