Jakarta, 22 Juni 2021. PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk (Indofood) relaunched the Indofood Research Nugraha (IRN) program for periode 2021/2022 with theme “Millenial Functional Food Research based on Local Potentials and Wisdoms in Covid-19 Pandemic Era”. IRN is a research grant funding for bachelor students who are currently in established research as requirements to finish their study. During this COVID-19 Pandemic, IRN supports to help students with organizing and socialize the programs virtually through online system.

Director of PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk, Axton Salim said “It is already over than a year we try to live with COVID-19, there are many challenge and obstacles that we encounter. However, I believe those challenges should not be prohibit students to finish their final assignment. Contribution from all parties is needed included real contributions especially from millenials with their creative ideas to explore and develop potential local food. Therefore, IRN provides research funds especially in functional foods that beneficial to increase nutrition and health, match with the current food trend. I hope the students can develop innovative research by utilizing Indonesia’s natural resources and local wisdoms.”

According to Head of IRN Experts Board, Prof. Dr. Ir. Purwiyatno Hariyadi, MSc, Indonesia is abundance with various local food resources and trusted to have certain benefits for health. For example, Tempe, Curcumin, Ginger, Moringa Leaves and Eucalyptus Oil that contain beneficial bioactive. In the pandemic time, Indonesia’s local food resources become worldwide known due to their impacts in increase body’s immune to fight COVID-19. “The latest researches in food, nutrition and health showcase that food have other functions besides as sources of nutrition; which contribute beneficial to maintain health or even boost immunity. Due to their compounds or given components besides nutrition that provide benefits for health. Through this program, IRN provide opportunities for bachelor students to explore, identify, cultivate, and promote various local resources that precious and valuable as functional foods. This is a challenge and also an opportunity for students,” said him.

IRN Program is a Indofood’s Corporate Social Responsibility program in Building Human Capital pillar, that open for bachelor students who currently finishing their final assignment and come from various majors. Research objects are natural local resources from agriculture, plantation, forestry, fishery, marine, and livestock products. Accompany with coverage in various research field such agro technology (cultivation), process and processing technology, public health and nutrition, also in social, culture, economy and marketing field.

In order to have research funds, those students have to submit their research proposal through website www.indofoodrisetnugraha.com or through email to indofoodrisetnugraha@indofood.co.id start from Mei to 31st of July 2021. Other requirements are the research must be conducted for one year, submit a complete curriculum vitae of students and supervisors and also have to be established in Indonesia. All the submitted proposal will undergo an administrative and substantive selection process that will be held online and virtually. The announcement of the selected proposals will be held in September 2021. At the end of the program, IRN Experts Board will choose 3 researches as The Best Researcher.

The receiver of IRN funds will have research assistance during the research from IRN Experts Board which consist of experts from various field. Since the first launched in 2006, IRN program have been received almost 5.300 proposal and funded more than 860 student researchers.

“We believe that high quality research will open unlimited opportunities. Although it is in the midst of pandemic, we hope that students who will join the IRN program will create superior researches based on local potentials and wisdoms that will be beneficial to increase the quality of human resources, competitiveness of our nation which will also able to support food self-sufficiency and national nutrition,” said Axton Salim.

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About Indofood Riset Nugraha (IRN) Program

IRN is a research grant funding for bachelor students who are currently finishing their final assignment or research in food diversification field. IRN program have been started since 2006 as the advanced from Bogasari Nugraha, which had been released since 1998 by Bogasari Flour Mills, known as one of strategic business group of PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk with main business activity to produce flour and pasta.

These program is one of the corporate’s social responsibility program in Building Human Capital pillar. IRN program already acknowledge and received award as Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Award 2010 for Investment in People category from Enterprise Asia also Peduli Pendidikan Award 2011 from Education and Culture Ministry.

IRN Experts Board consist of 9 experts from various fields such as food technology, social economy agriculture, cultivation agriculture,

Tim Pakar terdiri dari 9 orang pakar dari berbagai bidang seperti Bidang Teknologi Pangan, Bidang Sosial Ekonomi Pertanian, Bidang Budidaya Pertanian, Bidang Peternakan, Bidang Gizi dan Kesehatan, Bidang Perikanan dan Kelautan, Bidang Genetika dan Bioteknologi Molekur serta dari Indofood – mewakili sektor Industri.