A total of 172 lecturers from Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU) officially signed contracts as recipients of the university’s 2026 Internal Research Grant Program during a ceremony held on Monday (June 15) at the Meeting Room of the UMSU Main Campus on Muchtar Basri Street No. 3, Medan.
Of the 183 research proposals submitted, 172 were approved for funding. This year, UMSU also introduced a new research grant scheme focusing on Al-Islam and Muhammadiyah Studies, further strengthening the university’s commitment to integrating Islamic values into academic research.
Opening the ceremony, UMSU Rector Prof. Dr. Akrim, M.Pd. expressed his appreciation for the lecturers’ enthusiasm in participating in the internal grant program.
“I am proud of and sincerely appreciate all our lecturers. Out of approximately 650 lecturers at UMSU, 184 submitted research grant proposals, demonstrating an encouraging level of academic engagement,” he said.
The Rector emphasized that research and community service should go beyond fulfilling institutional requirements and instead generate meaningful benefits for society and the university.
“Our primary focus should be on creating real impact. We want our research and community service programs to benefit every sector of society. Going forward, research themes will be further aligned, particularly with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” he explained.
He also encouraged every principal investigator to actively involve students and research team members throughout the research and community service process.
“We hope even more of our lecturers will succeed in securing external research grants. Our internal grant program should serve as a valuable platform for strengthening research capacity. Most importantly, ensure that every research report is prepared professionally and accurately,” he added.
Earlier, Vice Rector III, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rudianto, M.Si., emphasized that the development of UMSU’s research grant program is closely aligned with the university’s long-term ambition to become a globally competitive institution.
“This year we have seen significant improvements in both research productivity and scholarly publications. Our goal is to expand collaboration with international researchers,” he said.
He explained that by 2028, UMSU aims to enter the initial phase of becoming a World-Class University, with global academic reputation and international research collaboration serving as key performance indicators.
“Beyond 2028, UMSU will begin its transition toward World-Class University status. One of the most important indicators in global rankings is academic reputation, which is strongly influenced by international research networks,” he explained.
According to him, achieving this vision requires close collaboration among the entire university community.
“Working together will help us achieve these ambitious goals. Ultimately, our research and community service activities must contribute meaningfully to the Sustainable Development Goals,” he added.
He also noted that UMSU’s growing recognition in various international rankings demonstrates the university’s strong commitment to supporting sustainable development through research and innovation.
Meanwhile, Chair of the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Fitra Zambak, S.T., M.Sc., congratulated all recipients of the 2026 Internal Research Grant.
He explained that grant funding would be disbursed in stages based on the achievement of research deliverables.
“Initially, 80 percent of the grant funding will be released. The remaining 20 percent will be disbursed after all required research outputs have been successfully completed,” he explained.
The ceremony concluded with the symbolic signing of the 2026 Internal Research Grant contracts by representatives of this year’s recipients, including dr. Qarina Hasyala Putri, M.Biomed., recipient of the Early Career Lecturer Research Scheme, and Muhammad Haris, S.Kom., M.Kom. from the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology (FIKTI), representing the Community Service Program (PKM) Scheme.
Through the Internal Research Grant Program, UMSU aims to continuously enhance research quality, expand academic collaboration, foster innovation, and produce impactful research that contributes to sustainable societal development while supporting the university’s vision of becoming a world-class institution.
