Former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh handed out the awards in a ceremony yesterday, Nov 14.

In the field of applied science and technology, the award went to farmers Thach Van Nhon, Nguyen Van Hung and Pham Van Lieu for their research and construction of 210 drawbridges in the Cuu Long Delta region. Their drawbridges have replaced dangerous bridges built from trunks and made travel more convenient and safer for the region's residents, especially children.

Staff of the Ha Noi Safe Food Research and Application Centre received the award for their project on applying bio-energy in agricultural production and community health protection.

Two individual awards went to Doctor Le Phi Long at the Thai Nguyen Medical and Pharmaceutical University for his research project on applying micro-surgery techniques to reconnect severed hands and fingers that were lost in work-related accidents; and engineer Pham Van Hung of My Tho Town, Tien Giang Province, for his research project and manufacturing of farming machines with an aim to increase productivity and reduce agriculture-related expenses.

Group awards for outstanding contributions to society went to the Phuong Huy Construction Group whose staff are invalids and Agent Orange victims who united to overcome life's difficulties.

Individual winners of the outstanding contribution to society prize were Nguyen Dieu of Quang Binh Province who campaigned relentlessly against backward customs; teacher Nguyen Thi Nguyet of Hoa Binh Primary School in Quang Ninh Province who has dedicated her life to educating the area's minority students; and Nguyen Thi Kiem, chairwoman of the Quang Phuc Commune Women's Union in Quang Binh Province, for her contributions to the population and family planning movement.

The KOVA Award Committee also presented awards to nine excellent students and granted scholarships to 40 talented low-income students currently studying at several universities nationwide.

Funded by the KOVA Paint Manufacturing Group since 2002, the awards aim to encourage students, individuals and groups, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to pursue advances in the areas of science and technology, and social welfare.