Nominations Open for the Merkin Prize in Biomedical Technology

Merkin Prize Logo

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nominations are now open for the first award of the Richard N. Merkin Prize in Biomedical Technology, which recognizes novel technologies that have improved human health.

Each year, the prize will celebrate a novel technology and recognize up to four key individuals and/or teams who contributed to the development of the technology, with a cash award of $400,000 to be shared among each year’s recipients. The winning technology must have made a demonstrable real-world impact on human health by improving the treatment, diagnosis, or prevention of disease.

The Merkin Prize is administered by the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, one of the world’s leading biomedical research institutes.

“The Merkin Prize will highlight the inventors of an important medical technology and will demonstrate how their work is transforming healthcare,” said Harold Varmus, chair of the selection committee. Varmus is the Lewis Thomas University Professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, a senior associate at the New York Genome Center, and a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on the origins of cancer.

“Incentivizing outstanding researchers with prizes that recognize the importance of science and technology that continue to impact human health is a goal of mine and I’m honored to acknowledge such critically important work,” said Dr. Merkin. “Additionally, I hope it will inspire younger researchers as they move forward with exciting opportunities to transform and improve our health and the quality of our lives.”

Eligibility for receipt of the Merkin Prize extends to all living investigators from anywhere in the world, from any discipline in academia, the commercial sector, or the government. Anyone may submit a nomination, but self-nominations are not permitted. Nominations must be submitted by Jan. 30, 2023.

For further information, detailed instructions, and a nomination form, please visit merkinprize.org.

About the Merkin Family Foundation

The Merkin Family Foundation was founded by visionary healthcare executive Richard Merkin, MD.

Richard Merkin, MD, is the founder and CEO of Heritage Provider Network, Inc. (HPN). HPN is the largest physician-owned managed care organization in the country dedicated to value-based healthcare delivery improvements. HPN develops and manages coordinated, patient-doctor centric, integrated healthcare systems that offer some of the strongest solutions for the future of health, care, and cost in the United States. HPN and its affiliates operate in New York, California, and Arizona, providing high-quality, cost-effective healthcare with over one million patient members. HPN is dedicated to quality, affordable healthcare, and putting patients’ wellness first.

About Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard was launched in 2004 to empower this generation of creative scientists to transform medicine. The Broad Institute seeks to describe the molecular components of life and their connections; discover the molecular basis of major human diseases; develop effective new approaches to diagnostics and therapeutics; and disseminate discoveries, tools, methods, and data openly to the entire scientific community.

Founded by MIT, Harvard, Harvard-affiliated hospitals, and the visionary Los Angeles philanthropists Eli and Edythe L. Broad, the Broad Institute includes faculty, professional staff, and students from throughout the MIT and Harvard biomedical research communities and beyond, with collaborations spanning over a hundred private and public institutions in more than 40 countries worldwide.

Contact Information:
Karen Zusi-Tran
kzusi@broadinstitute.org

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The Richard N. Merkin Prize in Biomedical Technology is accepting nominations until Jan. 30, 2023.

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Ninth National Buddhist Congress wraps up

The two-day 9th National Buddhist Congress wrapped up in Hanoi on November 29, with its resolution and the adjustment of the 7th Charter of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) approved.

 

The congress called on monks, nuns, and followers at home and abroad to practice the Buddha’s teachings and uphold the slogan of “Discipline – Responsibility – Solidarity – Development” to join hands in building the VBS which grows stronger in the hearts of the nation.

 

They were also encouraged to actively participate in patriotic emulation movements, Buddhist activities for the sake of the country, the people and the religion; closely coordinate with the Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organisations in the political system to build the great national solidarity bloc; and strongly respond to action programmes to protect the environment and adapt to climate change.

 

The congress honoured Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang as the VBS Patriarch, while Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon was voted to continue his Chairmanship of the VBS’s Executive Council for the 2022 – 2027 term.

 

Participants discussed the implementation of 12 targets and programmes, focusing on tightening the Sangha’s rules in line with the implementation of responsibilities of Buddhist dignitaries and followers.

 

The success of the 9th National Buddhist Congress opens a new path for the growth and development of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in its more-than-40-year journey of accompanying the country, affirmed Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Permanent Vice Chairman of the VBS’s Executive Council./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

☕ Afternoon briefing on November 29

The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

 

– National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue left Hanoi on November 29 morning, starting his official visits to Australia and New Zealand from November 30 to December 6.

 

This comes at invitations by Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Milton Dick, President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines, and Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives Adrian Rurawhe. Read full story

 

– The upcoming visit by National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue to Australia is expected to contribute to deepening the relationship between the two countries and parliaments, stated President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines in an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency.

 

Lines said that NA Chairman Hue will become the first guest of the new-tenure parliament of Australia, describing it as a reflection of the strong relationship between Australia and Vietnam. Read full story

 

– A delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) led by its Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Hai paid a working visit to Egypt from November 25-29.

 

During the visit, Hai held talks with First Deputy Speaker of the Egyptian House of Representatives Ahmed Saad El-Din Mohamed Abd El-Rehim who said that the two sides have supported each other at international forums in line with common stances in various issues such as human rights and disarmament. Read full story

 

– A national hybrid seminar on the value systems of the country, culture and family as well as the Vietnamese human standard in the new period opened in Hanoi on November 29, gathering nearly 500 participants from the capital, Thua Thien-Hue province, and Ho Chi Minh City.

 

The event is reviewing the one-year implementation of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s conclusion made at the National Cultural Conference to implement the 13th National Party Congress’ Resolution in November last year.Read full story

 

– The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a hybrid conference with overseas representative bodies of Vietnam on November 28 with a view to promoting economic diplomacy.

 

The conference, the first of its kind and to be held monthly, was chaired by Minister Bui Thanh Son and saw the presence of more than 90 ambassadors and heads of overseas representative agencies. Read full story

 

– The consumer price index (CPI) posted year-on-year growth of 3.02% in the first eleven months of this year while core inflation rose 2.38%, the General Statistics Office (GSO) revealed on November 29.

 

In November alone, the index went up 0.39% month-on-month and 4.37% year-on-year mainly due to an increase in house rental fees and the adjustment of petrol prices in the line with global market trends. Read full story

 

–  Vietnam recorded a trade surplus of 10.6 billion USD in the January-November period, the General Statistics Office announced on November 29.

 

In November, the import-export turnover is estimated at 57.58 billion USD, down 1.2% month-on-month and 7.8% year-on-year, bringing the total value in the first 11 months to 673.8 billion USD, up 11.8% year-on-year.Read full story

 

– Nearly 597,000 foreigners have visited Vietnam in November, up 23.2% month-on-month, bringing the total number of international tourists to the country in the first 11 months of this year to 2.95 million, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

 

The total figure is 21.1 times higher than that of the same period last year, but down 81.9% compared to the number of 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Read full story

 

– The 35-million-USD Fujikin Danang Research, Development and Manufature Centre, funded by Fujikin Incorporated from Japan, has freshly been inaugurated in the central coastal city of Da Nang.

 

Located at the Da Nang Hi-tech Park, the facility, whose construction began in 2021, focuses on projects involving drones, robots, water purification technology, and medical equipment and related software./.Read full story

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Conference discusses humanities in Vietnam – RoK relations

A conference was held in Hanoi on November 29 to look into the humanities in relations between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

 

The event, an activity marking the 30th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, was held by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) and the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences (NRC).

 

Dr Tran Thi Phuong Hoa, Deputy Director of the VASS’s Institute of History, said Vietnam and the RoK have witnessed exchanges of people, culture, and produce throughout history.

 

Cultural and political similarities in different historical periods have created pre-conditions for comparisons and also served as materials for academic exchanges, she noted.

 

Talking about the training in the Korean language and Korean studies in Vietnam, Dr. Le Thi Thu Giang, Dean of the faculty of Oriental studies at the Hanoi-based University of Social Sciences and Humanities, said the presence of the RoK in different areas is relatively popular, and that the work is currently among the most in-demand majors in Vietnam.

 

She recommended universities proactively seek appropriate development methods, a new mindset, a new approach, and a new orientation for the training in the Korean language and Korean studies so that Vietnam can become a centre of Korea-related training and research in the region.

 

The conference focused on bilateral cooperation in cultural and historical studies, education, and the settlement of social issues – marriage-based migration. Scientists also suggested measures for further promoting bilateral ties in culture, history, and education and for resolving social issues in the countries’ relations.

 

Also on November 29, the final round of a Korean language contest in Phu Tho province was held.

 

This was the second of its kind in the northern province, following the first in 2021. It was held by the Phu Tho Union of Friendship Organisations, the provincial Department of External Affairs, the provincial Radio and Television Station, the Phu Tho industrial park authority, the Hung Vuong University, and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Indonesia to import 500,000 tonnes of rice to improve reserves

Indonesia’s state food procurement agency Bulog said that it has been assigned by the Government to import rice to improve national reserves which currently stand at 594,000 tonnes.

 

Bulog chief executive Budi Waseso said recently that the agency plans to procure an additional 500,000 tonnes of rice from local farmers.

 

Arief Prasetyo Adi, chairman of the National Food Agency (Bapanas), said that the reserves could drop to 342,000 tonnes by year end if there is no new supply.

 

Indonesia is aiming to secure 1.2 million tonnes of rice reserves by year-end./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Thailand promotes investment in electric vehicle production

More and more foreign investors are interested in the possibility of investing in the production of electric vehicles (EVs) in Thailand thanks to measures to attract investment, encourage the use of EVs as well as an increase in local demand for the products.

 

According to the Thai Board of Investment (BOI), the Government has implemented many measures to support EV companies and encourage people to use the vehicles, aiming to turn the country into a regional EV production hub.

 

Thailand has set a target that by 2023, EVs will account for 30% of its total vehicles.

 

Deputy Government Spokesperson Trisulee Trisoranakul said BOI data shows that in addition to clear investment promotion policies, factors such as growing demand and potential of the market in Thailand also contribute to luring manufacturers of EVs, batteries, and spare parts. These enterprises intend to choose Thailand as the base for producing EVs to sell in the local market and export to the world.

 

According to the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), in the first ten months of 2022, there were about 12,528 electric vehicles registered, 230% higher than the same period last year./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam logs 558 new COVID-19 cases on November 29

The national COVID-19 caseload rose to 11,515,423 with 558 new cases recorded on November 29, according to the Ministry of Health.

 

With 129 patients given the all-clear during the day, the number of recoveries rose to 10,608,342.

 

Meanwhile, there are 74 patients needing breathing support.

 

Two deaths from COVID-19 were recorded in the past 24 hours. The total fatalities rose to 43,172.

 

With 54,642 doses administered on November 28, the total number of doses of COVID-19 vaccines injected rose to 264,208,983./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

HCM City aims to become safe, friendly city for women and children

The fact that women are equal to men in all political, economic, cultural and social activities, and enjoying the fruits of social progress reflects a just, democratic and civilised society, a city leader has said.

 

Gender equality is a global issue of concern to many countries, Duong Anh Duc, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, who is also head of the city Committee for the Advancement of Women and Gender Equality, told a meeting on the implementation of the National Strategy on Gender Equality and Response to gender-based violence from 2025-2030 held in the southern city on September 29.

 

It aims at narrowing the gender gap in industries, creating opportunities for women and men to participate and enjoy equal benefits in all fields of social life and contributing to the city’s sustainable development.

 

He emphasised that the city will focus on reviewing activities, devising solutions for capacity building on gender equality, and ensuring that the contingent of cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers fully understand the consequences of gender stereotypes and gender-based violence on the development of individuals, families, and society.

 

Under the strategy, the number of women holding key leadership positions in State management agencies and local administrations at all levels will reach 60 and 75% by 2025 and 2030, respectively.

 

The rate of female directors or owners of businesses is expected to hit at least 27% by 2025 and 30% by 2030, while the number of paid women employees will increase to 50%  by 2025 and around 60% by 2030.

 

It also sets targets and provides key solutions to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in the medical, education and training and communication sectors toward building a safe, friendly city for women and children, he said.

 

According to Duc, in order to change gender stereotypes and violent acts influenced by cultural concepts, it is necessary to have the synchronous participation of agencies, organisations and the whole community, adding that the media agencies, the press and the journalists themselves have an important role in communications to eliminate prejudices, raise awareness, and change behaviour about gender equality in society.

 

Elisa Fernandez Saenz, UN Women Representative in Vietnam, highly appreciated the city’s efforts on gender equality and responding to gender-based violence, highlighting policies to prevent violence and setting up a hotline for victims of domestic violence.

 

UN Women is committed to continuing to support the city in carrying out activities on gender equality and preventing gender-based violence, including providing technical support and capacity building for sectors and communities to strengthen safe spaces for women and children, she said./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency