MANILA -Listed mining company Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC) awarded P1.5 million worth of grants to 15 university teams nationwide to advance the sustainability agenda through research.
In a statement, NAC said the winning universities received a grant of P100,000 each during its first-ever Sustainability Contest to work on research projects that will enhance environmental practices and promote responsible utilization of natural resources using science-based techniques.
Caraga State University’s project involves cultivating plants to remove silt and contaminants from water while also establishing a natural infiltration system.
Saint Paul University in Surigao will focus on using advanced technology for risk management, employing artificial intelligence to predict potential risks and hazards in mining operations.
Meanwhile, Ateneo de Davao University will work on improving structural safety by using drones to detect cracks in concrete structures. It entails analyzing data sets from the drones through computer algorithms.
Other recipients are the University of Mindanao-Matina Campus, Bataan Peninsula State University-Main Campus, St. Paul University Surigao (St. Paul University System), Visayas State University, Batangas State University-Alangilan Campus, Partido State University, STI College Surigao, Saint Louis University, Cebu Technological University-Tuburan Campus, Bicol University and the University of the Philippines Diliman.
“Winners of the Sustainability Contest will have the chance to execute and show their research next year at the NAC Sustainability Fair, wherein each team will present the results of their research,” the company said.