Collaborating with Universities, BRIN to Build 6 New Research Centers

TheIndonesia.co - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is working with universities to establish six research collaboration centers under a scheme that seeks to promote collaborative research in Indonesia.

Head of BRIN Laksana Tri Handoko said the establishment of the centers will enable BRIN and universities to improve and deepen research and study in specific fields based on BRIN's and each university’s expertise and competence.

“This scheme allows BRIN to deepen research on strategic topics efficiently. BRIN’s research collaboration centers with universities will be treated similarly to regular research center in BRIN, including full access to human and research resources facilitation scheme,” Handoko said on Friday, March 11, as reported by Antara.

In the first batch of the scheme, four proposals for research collaboration center were submitted by Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Mulawarman University, and the University of Indonesia (UI), while Padjadjaran University proposed two ideas.

Besides collaborating with BRIN, the universities are also working together with relevant institutions, including industry, hospital, or other higher education institutions.

Handoko explained that research collaboration center is a scheme to improve research capacity and competence in specific fields of research by optimizing available human resource in partner universities, in which the centers will be located, as well as resource in existing research centers in BRIN.

The six research collaboration centers are Center for Biosensors and Biodevices for Tropical Diseases and Disease Outbreaks Control proposed by Prof. Brian Yuliarto and team from ITB, in collaboration with BRIN’s Research Center for Chemistry and Research Center for Electronics and Telecommunications.

Center for Biofilm was proposed by Prof. Titik Nuryastuti and team from UGM, and it will collaborate with BRIN’s Research Center for Biotechnology, Jenderal Soedirman University, and Dr. Sardjito Hospital.

Center for Biomass-Based Nanotechnology in Cosmetic, proposed by Prof. Enos Tangke Arung and team from Mulawarman University, will involve BRIN’s Research Center for Biomaterials and Research Center for Chemistry.

Center for Functional Metabolomics: Biomarker and Mechanism was proposed by Prof. Abdul Munim and team from the University of Indonesia. They will collaborate with BRIN’s Research Center for Biotechnology.

Proposal for Research and Development of Biomaterials from Marine Biological Resources was submitted by Emma Rochima and team from Padjadjaran University, and it will involve BRIN’s Research Center for Biomaterials and Research Center for Plant Conservation and Botanical Gardens, as well as PT Miko Bahtera Nusantara.

Lastly, Center for Biomass and Biorefinery, proposed by Dr. Efri Mardawati and team from Padjadjaran University, will collaborate with Hasanuddin University and BRIN’s Research Center for Biomaterials and Research Center for Limnology.