The Indonesian Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) has once again allocated incentives to support student research through the Student Creativity Program (PKM). Through the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology, a total of 1,121 proposals were submitted in 2026 by representatives of public and private universities across Indonesia. Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) achieved the highest number of funded proposals nationwide, with 56 proposals receiving grants.
This achievement marks the first step for each funded team toward competing in the 39th Indonesian National Student Science Competition (PIMNAS), which will be hosted by Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) in Semarang in early November.
According to data published on the Kemdiktisaintek SIMBELMAWA platform, the proposal quota was significantly reduced compared to the previous year. In 2025, a total of 1,590 PKM proposals received funding. In contrast, only 1,121 proposals were funded in 2026, a reduction of nearly 400.
Despite the funding quota being cut by almost one-third, UGM students maintained their strong performance in securing PKM grants. UGM emerged as the leading institution with the highest number of funded proposals, surpassing both public and private universities throughout Indonesia.
UGM Director of Student Affairs, Dr. Hempri Suyatna, described this achievement as a positive foundation for strengthening the university’s ecosystem of research, innovation, and student creativity.
Dr. Suyatna further outlined the strategies UGM will implement following the funding announcement. He emphasized the importance of consolidation and coordination among advisors, student teams, and the UGM PKM Center as the facilitating unit.
“Following the announcement, an official consolidation process will begin immediately next week. We hope intensive mentoring will continue throughout the evaluation process until the final results are announced,” he said on Tuesday (Jun. 2).
According to Dr. Suyatna, the large number of funded proposals reflects the consistent synergy and collaboration among various stakeholders. The Directorate of Student Affairs, through its Subdirectorate of Student Creativity Management and the UGM PKM Center, has played a significant role in facilitating activities, providing mentoring, and assisting students in proposal preparation.
He noted that the highly competitive selection process requires intensive support from the university, particularly during the administrative review stage.
“We always strive to uphold fairness and submit the best possible work in competition with tens of thousands of innovative proposals. In addition, students’ creative ideas and research enthusiasm, supported by faculty advisors, have been key factors behind UGM’s success this year,” he explained.
Head of the Student Creativity Subdirectorate at UGM’s Directorate of Student Affairs, Suprijani, expressed hope that the increase in funded proposals would motivate all participating teams to maximize their efforts ahead of PIMNAS.
“This achievement demonstrates that great ideas are born from hard work, collaboration, and a spirit of perseverance,” he said.
Suprijani noted that the 56 funded proposals comprise several categories, including PKM-K (3), PKM-KC (14), PKM-KI (2), PKM-PI (4), PKM-PM (5), PKM-RE (14), PKM-RSH (11), and PKM-VGK (3). These successful proposals emerged from interdisciplinary collaboration, as reflected in the participation of representatives from faculties and schools across Universitas Gadjah Mada.
“The proposals integrate technological, social, and environmental dimensions, which are expected to provide solutions to various challenges faced by society,” he concluded.
Author: Ika Agustine
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Zabrina Kumara Putri
Photo: Public Relations Documentation