THE MINDANAO State University-Iligan Institute of Technology secured research grants and graduate scholarships from two universities in Belgium.

Students from the College of Science and Mathematics were awarded by VLIR-UOS a Master of Science degree full scholarship this year.

Dubhe Joy Carmen of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics will pursue a degree in Master of Statistics and Data Science (Bioinformatics track) at Hasselt University.

Meanwhile, April Lyn Leonar of the Department of Biological Sciences will take up Master of Science in Nematology at Ghent University.

“Aside from graduate scholarships, VLIR-OUS also provides research grants annually to alumni of Belgium universities on a competitive basis. For this year, VLIR-OUS has granted a South Initiative grant to MSU-IIT. The recipient of the grant is Assoc. Prof. Joey Genevieve T. Martinez from the Department of Biological Sciences of CSM,” the university said.

“Assoc. Prof. Martinez will be working with Asst. Prof. Nanette Hope Sumaya and Assoc. Prof. Ma. Reina Suzette Madamba, on finding ways to minimize mercury effects in soils, utilizing local materials and using soil communities as bio-indicators. This project is in partnership with Ghent University through Prof. Tom Moens and Prof. Wim Bert,” it added.

Martinez was also a recipient of a VLIR-UOS grant for his doctoral project in Mindanao.

VLIR-OUS is a scholarship grant of the Belgian government to support its extensive network of researchers from developing countries.