The Ministry of Science and Technology has approved the “Vietnam Research Excellence Fellowship (VREF) Program for Supporting Outstanding Doctoral Students, 2026–2030,” signaling a shift in policy from training support to direct investment in high-quality research.
The initiative aims to cultivate a new generation of young scientists with strong independent research capabilities, contributing to greater technological self-reliance and national competitiveness.
Accordingly, VREF is the first to design a large-scale, direct investment mechanism for doctoral students, with a maximum support level of up to VND1 billion yearly a person, selecting approximately 100 outstanding doctoral students each year to implement breakthrough projects, aiming to master core technologies and develop strategic technology products.
The VREF program is positioned as a key component of the science, technology, and innovation ecosystem, placing doctoral students at the center of advanced research initiatives. Resources will be strategically allocated, prioritizing projects with the potential to generate core technologies and develop strategic products, while maintaining balanced growth across scientific disciplines.
The breakthrough of VREF is its "results-based investment" approach. The selection mechanism is organized independently, transparently, and competitively, with evaluation criteria directly linked to specific outputs.
The VREF program promotes a multi-stakeholder collaboration model involving the state research institutes and universities, and the private sector. It seeks to engage businesses throughout the entire process from proposal development to the commercialization of research outcomes while encouraging co-funding and strengthening international partnerships.
In addition to providing up to VND1 billion per year for each outstanding doctoral student, the VREF program features a flexible funding mechanism as a key highlight. Funding can be allocated to activities directly supporting research, including product development, scientific publications, intellectual property registration, technology testing, and international collaboration. Disbursement is closely tied to project progress and output performance, with underperforming projects subject to adjustment or termination.
In cases of “scientific risk” arising from the nature of research, such risks will be deemed acceptable provided that all regulatory requirements are fully met. With a focus on core technologies, products, and markets, the VREF program is expected to serve as a strategic lever in developing high-quality scientific talent, contributing to greater technological self-reliance and gradually positioning Vietnam within the global science, technology, and innovation value chain.
