Mataram, September 22, 2026 — Institut Agama Hindu Negeri (IAHN) Gde Pudja Mataram is further strengthening its position within Indonesia’s national research landscape after one of its research teams was selected as a grantee of the 2026 Indonesia Bangkit Research Funding Program (MoRa The Air Funds) under the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.The achievement was formally marked by the signing of the 2026 research funding cooperation agreement on Tuesday, September 22, at the Operation Room, 2nd Floor, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Jakarta. The program is administered by the Center for Financing Religious and Religious Education under the Ministry’s Secretariat General.
For IAHN Gde Pudja Mataram, the recognition represents more than a single research grant. It reflects a continuing institutional effort to expand research capacity and encourage its academic community to compete and contribute at the national level. In 2025, IAHN Gde Pudja Mataram became the first Hindu Religious Higher Education Institution (PTKH) to secure funding through the Indonesia Bangkit Research Program. The institution’s success in obtaining another grant in 2026 demonstrates the growing capacity of its researchers to develop and manage research in accordance with national funding standards and requirements.The 2026 IAHN Gde Pudja Mataram research team is led by Dr. I Made Ngurah Oka Mahardika, S.E., M.M., with I Gusti Komang Kembarawan, S.Ag., M.Ag., I Made Sudarma, S.E., M.Pd.H., and Dr. I Putu Ananda Citra, S.Pd., M.Sc. serving as research team members.
Their participation adds another milestone to the institution’s efforts to create greater opportunities for its lecturers and researchers to engage in competitive, nationally funded research.The 2026 Indonesia Bangkit Research Program itself reflects the increasingly broad reach of Indonesia’s research ecosystem. According to the program presentation, funded research teams now come from across the country, stretching from Aceh to Papua. Entering its third year, the program has continued to expand in both scale and quality, with 131 research projects receiving funding in 2026.Purwana, Head of the Research Funding Division at LPDP, emphasized the importance of ensuring that funded research produces meaningful outcomes for society. LPDP, he noted, continues to support the strengthening of Indonesia’s research ecosystem while working to expand research funding capacity.The emphasis on research impact also places an important responsibility on every funded institution and research team. Securing competitive funding is not an endpoint; it is an academic commitment to produce high-quality research, maintain accountability, and translate research findings into benefits that can be experienced more broadly by society.
At the signing ceremony, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Prof. Dr. Phil. H. Kamaruddin Amin, M.A., represented by the Head of the Center for Financing Religious and Religious Education, Dr. Ruchman Basori, S.Ag., M.Ag., expressed appreciation for LPDP’s support throughout the three-year implementation of the program. The Ministry also welcomed plans to expand the Indonesia Bangkit Research Program to 300 funded research projects in 2027. Alongside the planned expansion, researchers were reminded that funding must be managed responsibly, with strong emphasis on research quality, measurable societal impact, accountability, and integrity.For the Research and Community Service Institute (LPPM) of IAHN Gde Pudja Mataram, the latest achievement provides fresh momentum to further develop a productive and sustainable research culture. LPPM Chair Dr. Ni Luh Sinar Ayu Ratna Dewi, S.S., M.Ag., expressed gratitude for the trust placed in IAHN Gde Pudja Mataram by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and hoped that the responsibility would be carried out with excellence while inspiring other researchers within the institution.
LPPM was represented at the event by its Secretary, Putu Gede Asnawa Dikta, S.Pd., M.Pd.The continued success of IAHN Gde Pudja Mataram in securing national research funding signals a growing institutional commitment to research excellence. Beyond strengthening the university’s academic networks, the achievement provides further encouragement for its lecturers and researchers to develop innovative, rigorous, and socially relevant research.Through sustained investment in research and academic collaboration, IAHN Gde Pudja Mataram continues to advance its role as a Hindu religious higher education institution that connects academic scholarship with the needs of society and contributes to the broader development of Indonesia.
(by: DKS)
