Chile and Argentina universities receive major research funding

The Universidad Diego Portales (UDP) in Chile was awarded the 2024 medium‑size FONDEQUIP grant from the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID), marking the first time in the program’s 13‑year history that UDP secured funding. The grant of 356,932,949 Chilean pesos will finance the Centre for Photographic Heritage (CENFOTO‑UDP) to acquire an advanced digitisation platform, including a DT BC‑100 scanner and data‑analysis tools, and to expand collaborations with the National Library and the National Museum Service.

In Argentina, the Institute of Bionanotechnology of the NOA (Inbionatec), a joint institute of the Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero (UNSE) and CONICET, obtained 41 million Argentine pesos through CONICET’s PIP call for two projects. One, led by Dr. Verónica Paz Zanini, develops low‑cost 3‑D‑printed electrochemical sensors for detecting pesticides, heavy metals and micro‑plastics. The other, led by Dr. Claudio Borsarelli, creates carbon nanomaterials from non‑timber forest residues for antimicrobial and contaminant‑removal applications.