INTEC will initiate studies to improve agriculture, mathematics, environmental protection and seismology
SANTO DOMINGO. - The Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) will initiate research on agriculture, environmental protection and clean energy production, interactive digital mathematics and seismological issues, with funding from the National Fund for Innovation and Scientific and Technological Development (FONDOCYT).
The university was benefited with the approval of a total of nine research projects, projected to be developed in the next three years, and with a total funding that amounts to more than RD $ 60 million pesos, granted by the incentive fund that is a dependency of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCYT).
Scientific research for development and innovation
Among the approved investigations is a seismic vulnerability study of aging bridges, by the coordinator of INTEC's Master of Science in Structural and Earthquake-Resistant Engineering, Norberto Rojas-Mercedes, with a financing of RD $ 6,877,464. Mercedes has focused her research work on the vulnerability assessment of structures, including buildings and bridges.
Also in the engineering area, Melvin Gonzalez Pena will study the seismic microzoning in urban areas of the country, with an amount of RD $ 7,383,706.
In the area of basic sciences, Leandra Tapia Acosta, doctor in Pure Mathematics, will develop a study about the digital interactive math, in a period of 18 months, and with a financing of RD $ 4,961,000. Professor and researcher at INTEC, Tapia is a graduate of the Universitá Degli Studi di Padova, Italy.
For innovation in agriculture, and with financing of RD9,850,680, Edian Franco de los Santos will be dedicated to the study of improvement of the quality and safety of vegetables produced and marketed in our country, relying on omic sciences and bioinformatics.
Currently, Franco is working on research aimed at the application of machine learning techniques in omic data, identification of biomarkers for the characterization of diseases and networks of biological interaction, metagenomics, environmental biology, resistance to antibiotics and bioprospecting of biotechnology.
To contribute to environmental protection and clean energy production, Hugo Guzman Bello study the procedure for making decisions in the energy recovery of residual biomass and its integration into distributed generation with renewables (RD $ 5,831,870); and Katerin Ramirez will conduct the study of a multi-criteria decision support system for renewable energy projects with a geographic information system (RD $ 3,490,894).
Also in the environment area, Lizaira Veronica Bello Pérez conduct an investigation into heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils in three areas of the middle and lower basin of the Yuna River, the second most important river in the country. This work has a financing of RD $ 5,099,600. Bello belongs to the TATAgua research group, whose scientific interests are aimed at the treatment and safe use of water.
In contribution to bird conservation and in response to global change, Martin Aníbal Quiroga will study niche models for selection of bird shelters in the Dominican Republic, in a period of 36 months, and with an amount of RD $ 6,517,500.
The objective of this study is to generate tools for correct decision-making in the conservation of the Spanish hawk, an endemic bird of the Dominican Republic that is in critical danger of extinction.
To add to the efforts of the recovery of the quality of the soils, a study of mining waste remediation with carbon nanostructures supported on magnetic and inert materials, at a cost of RD $ 11,345,710.46, and by the research professor Melvin Arias Polanco.
These investigations that seek the creation of knowledge and innovation for the benefit of society, are added to others that the university develops with its own funds, with the contributions of other international institutions and organizations.