Highlights:-W-2V and ODS W-2V-0.5Y 2 O 3 alloys have been produced following a powder metallurgy route.-Grain microstructure and microhardness have been studied after isothermal treatments in vacuum.-Both alloys exhibit a duplex grain size population: a submicron-sized grain and a coarse grained one. Keywords: W alloys, Oxide dispersion strengthened W alloys, Grain growth, Recovery, Microhardness Abstract: W-2V and ODS W-2V-0.5Y 2 O 3 alloys have been produced following a powder metallurgy route consisting of mechanical alloying and a subsequent high isostatic pressing HIP at 1573 K. The grain microstruc-ture and microhardness recovery of the alloys have been studied in samples subjected to isothermal treatments in vacuum in temperature range 1073-1973 K. Both alloys exhibit a duplex grain size distri-bution consisting of a submicron-sized grain and a coarse-grained population. It has been found that the Y 2 O 3 addition inhibits growth of the coarse grains at T < 1973 K. Submicron grain growth, with activa-tion enthalpy of 1.9 and 2.49 eV for W-2V and W-2V-0.5Y 2 O 3 , respectively, was observed at T ≥ 1573 K. It resulted that the rate constant for grain growth is 30 times higher in W-2V-0.5Y 2 O 3 than in W-2V. The considerable enhancement of the microhardness in the W-2V-0.5Y 2 O 3 appears to be associated to dispersion strengthening.