Indonesia’s 2026 Young Researcher Award opens registration

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4 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Researchers Association (PPI) has opened registration for its 2026 Young Researcher Award (YRA), aiming to foster researchers capable of competing globally and eventually winning a Nobel Prize.

YRA 2026 organizing committee chairman Nurmahmudi Ismail said the award has gained momentum, with participation rising to 115 applicants in 2025. This year, YRA has expanded eligibility beyond researchers and engineers to include university lecturers.

“We decided to focus on lecturers, researchers and engineers, hoping all three groups can produce optimal outputs and outcomes,” he said here Thursday.

Ismail said YRA judging now emphasizes achievements beyond portfolios, including research outputs, real-world impact and recognition from users of scientific knowledge.

He said YRA hoped to eventually produce an Indonesian Nobel laureate, noting that no Indonesian citizen has won the prize since it was first awarded in 1901.

Nur Tri Aries Suestiningtyas, secretary-general of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), praised PPI’s consistent organization of YRA, now entering its fifth year.

She said the award aligns with its theme, “Bridging to the Nobel Prize,” and BRIN’s “Goes to Nobel Prize” program.

“The priority is no longer simply winning the Nobel Prize, but building an ecosystem that enables work that can eventually represent Indonesia on the world stage,” she said.

Heri Kuswanto, director of research and development talent at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, called YRA a strategic incentive to motivate outstanding young researchers.

He said the ministry promotes research with impact, requiring publicly funded research to provide practical solutions for society.

“This is one initiative that I consider truly outstanding,” he said.

The PPI Young Researcher Award is a prestigious program recognizing Indonesian young researchers whose innovations and research have delivered broad benefits to society.