Research for National Development: UIN Jakarta Expands Opportunities through MoRA The AIR Funds 2025

Diorama Room, UIN Online News — Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta, in collaboration with the Center for Financing of Religious Education (PUSPENMA), held a forum for the "MoRA: The AIR Funds 2025" program on Thursday (16/10/2025).

The event, which aims to enhance the quality and relevance of research contributing to national development and Indonesia Emas 2045, brought together hundreds of participants consisting of lecturers, researchers, and administrative staff from various faculties. Present at the event were key representatives from PUSPENMA and past awardees of the 2024 MoRA: The AIR Funds program.

Distinguished speakers included Dr. Ruchman Basuri, M.Ag., Head of PUSPENMA Kemenag RI; Hendro Dwi Antoro, S.H., C.MED, Head of Education Investment, Partnership, and Research Team of PUSPENMA; Prof. Asep Saepudin Jahar, Ph.D., Rector of UIN Jakarta; Prof. Amelia Fauzia, Ph.D, Head of LP2M UIN Jakarta; and Prof. dr. Flori Ratna Sari, Ph.D., awardee of MoRA The AIR Funds 2024.

Opening the forum, the rector of UIN Jakarta expressed his agreement with the commitment to supporting and facilitating research excellence, highlighting that research funding will continue to grow in line with program clarity and strategic direction.

No discipline in academia operates independently. Faculties must engage in dialogue and synergy. For example, the Faculty of Education and Teacher Training (FITK) could collaborate to develop AI-based learning tools that advance language, science, and other fields,” Asep Saipudin Jahar explained.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ruchman Basuri outlined PUSPENMA’s strategic role under the Secretariat General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs in managing education financing and human resource development.

“We focus on three main areas: education scholarships, funding for religious education at primary and secondary levels, and education investments. Also worth mentioning are the research grants,” he said.

Through the MoRA The AIR Funds 2025 program, the government offers up to IDR 500 million for research in the social sciences, humanities, policy, and education, and up to IDR 2 billion for science and technology projects.

“We hope UIN Jakarta will be among the leading recipients, with ten research groups involved next year,” Dr. Ruchman added.

The session continued with a talk show by Prof. dr. Flori Ratna Sari, a previous grant recipient, who shared her experience with innovative ideas and clear novelty in crafting a successful research proposal.

“Even before registration opens on ERIS Pro, researchers should focus on refining their ideas. Novelty and innovation are key aspects that reviewers value, as proposals should offer solutions to national or institutional challenges,” she noted.

As an example, Prof. Flori shared her team’s development of a portable halal detection gadget, designed for practical use in various settings, even by local food vendors.

“Our small, tumbler-sized device enables independent halal assessment without needing lab support. We want to empower small businesses by ensuring the product integrity,” she shared.

Concluding the forum, Prof. Amelia Fauzia, Ph.D., Head of LP2M UIN Jakarta, expressed her optimism for the coming year.

“We expect the number of funded research projects to increase, reflecting UIN Jakarta’s growing research excellence. With strong institutional support from the Rector, our flagship research programs are well-positioned to achieve national impact,” she closed.

(Fathan Rangga I./Fauziah M./Zaenal M./Muhamad Arifin Ilham/Photo: Tiara Adhie)