YOGYAKARTA – Four UGM research teams managed to get national strategic research grant from Ministry of National Education as much as 2.9 billion rupiah. The four researchers are Prof. Dr. Kirbani Sri Brotopuspito (Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences), Dr. Eng. Kuwat Triyana, M.Sc. (LPPT UGM), Dr. Daud Aris Tanudirjo, M.A. (Center for Pancasila Studies), and Dr. Ir. Nursigit Bintor, M.Sc. (Faculty of Agricultural Technology).
National strategic research is research grant program focused on strengthening research. One of the objectives is the realization of excellent research center that is able to foster innovation capacity in line with advances in technology, oriented on implementation of research results to industrial development and national character building.
UGM Rector, Prof. Ir. Sudjarwadi, M. Eng., Ph.D., congratulated the four researcher teams that have won prestigious research grants from Ministry of National Education. "Usually, every university only gets one research grant, but we got four research grants," he said proudly.
The Rector hoped the research will be applied directly by the interested agencies, local governments, and communities. Some researches include the activities of volcanic disasters, detection of pig fat, grain dryers, and familiarization of Pancasila. "It is not only beneficial for UGM, but also nationally in the future," he said.
The same thing was also conveyed by Senior Vice Rector for Academic, Research, and Community Service, Prof. Dr. Retno Sunarminingsih, M.Sc., Apt. She expected the research does not just stop in the provision of research grants but to continue in the future. "The initial part of the research hopefully can be run continually and developed to other universities," she said.
Chairman of Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM UGM), Prof. Dr.Techn. Ir. Danang Parikesit, M.Sc., said that this year LPPM UGM has obtained other grants scheme for 38 research groups as much as 2.95 billion rupiah. Previously, in 2010, UGM obtained 15.9 billion rupiah of research funding from 10 research schemes to 126 researcher groups and 113 individuals.
The four research themes that won the grant are, first, studies of multi-hazards, vulnerability, risk, spatial design of Merapi disaster areas and implementation in enhancing the capacity and preparedness of society to volcanic hazards. Second, research on rapid detection tools design of fat and pig gelatin in foods and cosmetics through electronic nose of coupled chromatography gas for halal authentication.
Third is civilizing Pancasila in the framework of nation’s character development: preparation of the grand design of civilizing Pancasila to the young generation in the era of informatics. Fourth, construction engineering and mechanical drying process of grain with dryeration method using cylindrical silos in order to increase capacity and process efficiency.
In his presentation in front of the press, Prof. Kirbani said that their research aims to know the primary danger of eruption impact by identifying internal structure and dynamics and mechanism of Merapi eruption. "Magma pocket of Mount Merapi when containing about 500 million cubic meters of magma had exploded 150 million years ago. We will conduct a new measurement by understanding the more real model," he said.
He described that Merapi eruption in 1872 ejected 330 million cubic meters of magma. One hundred years later in 2010 the magma released was 150 million cubic meters. "There is prediction that Merapi will erupt with the same level in the range of 100 years later," he said.
Meanwhile, Kuwat Triyana explained that Indonesia is a gelatin importer country. Gelatin is used not only for food products, but also non-food products, such as drug capsules, cosmetics, film, and medical laboratory equipments. "Almost 95 percent of gelatin is made from pigs. It is imported from the United States, Europe, and Latin America. There is no rapid detection tool of gelatin," he said.
According to Kuwat, the detector of pig gelatin made by UGM research team can detect within 1-2 hours. It is different from current conventional tools which take 1-2 days.