The Ministry of Research and Technology / the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) are supporting the acceleration of the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic by forming the COVID-19 Research and Innovation Consortium.
UGM is one of the higher education institutions involved by participating in research, development, assessment and implementation activities to produce inventions and innovations in specified fields.
Dozens of UGM research teams have submitted proposals for research activities, and received recommendations for funding from the Phase 1 Covid-19 Research and Innovation Consortium.
“Thank you to the Chancellor and UGM Research Director for being able to mobilize researchers in a short time, and many researchers could be involved,” said the Head of the Covid-19 Research and Innovation Consortium, Prof. dr. Ali Gufron Mukti, M.Sc., Ph.D.
This consortium consists of Research Institutions within the government, higher education institutions, private, and industrial sectors, directed to produce innovations that answer the needs of the Indonesian people to fight COVID-19 in the form of products and studies.
The Decree for the Selected Proposals receiving recommendation to carry out activities with consortium funding was submitted directly by Ali to the UGM Rector, Prof. Ir. Panut Mulyono, M.Eng., D.Eng., IPU., ASEAN Eng., on Thursday (4/6) at the UGM Hall.
UGM has 21 research and innovation titles from various fields that met the administrative and substance requirements to receive a recommendation for funding. Research activities are focused on invention and innovation in five areas, namely: prevention, detection and screening, medical and supporting devices, therapy, and social humanities.
The proposal submission for this activity was opened to consortium members from 17th of March to 15th of April.
“This innovation has at least three values, namely it can provide appropriate technology, add value, and provide substitutions for imported products. Researchers will bring extraordinary changes, what previously had to be imported can now be supplied independently,” he explained.
Ali revealed that UGM already has various research products related to supporting facilities for handling Covid-19 that have the potential to be developed. One of the efforts that has been made is the production of a ventilator, which is said to be the most sophisticated ever produced in Indonesia, even though the product still needs to go through a testing process.
He hopes that the researchers who have received the funding can continue to be committed and actively develop research and innovation that is beneficial to the society.
On the same occasion, the Rector of UGM encouraged UGM researchers to be able to find useful research ideas and be able to answer problems in the community due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition, each researcher and institution is also expected to coordinate and work together to plan a complete and impactful solution.
“There must be a good and complete planning. We can do this when there is a consolidation,” said the Rector.
