The US government has awarded over US$1.6 million through “Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research” (PEER) grants that will help sustain marine biodiversity, protect the environment and promote education in Indonesia. The PEER initiative links National Science Foundation-funded scientists in the US with USAID-funded scientists in Indonesia to increase research collaboration between the two nations on key development issues. “The US is pleased to expand the network of researchers in Indonesia. These seven PEER researchers will join the 30 others who are doing important work across the archipelago,” US Ambassador to Indonesia Robert Blake said. “The value of PEER lies not only in the discovery of new data and knowledge that is valuable for Indonesia and beyond, but also in strengthening Indonesia’s research and development capacity which promotes prosperity.” The US Embassy in Jakarta said in a statement made available to thejakartapost.com on Wednesday that the latest group of awardees had been selected from over 500 high-quality proposals and collectively received more than $74 million of funding leveraged through collaborations with their US-funded counterparts. The successful Indonesian projects from the current round are: Coral Vulnerability Assessment to Temperature Stress (Bleaching) and Ocean Acidification in the Spermonde Archipelago: Conservation Strategies for Climate Resilience (A joint project by Hasanuddin University and the University of Georgia); Implementation of a Randomization-based Curriculum for Introductory Statistics at UPH and across Indonesia (Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) and Dordt College); Developing Science and Learning Research Capacity of Bengkulu University in Ex Situ Conservation of Sumatran Freshwater and Terrestial Turtles (Bengkulu University and the University of North Carolina, Greensboro); Developing a Bioeconomy in Indonesia: Identification of Novel Microorganisms and Microbial Enzymes from Indonesian Peatland and Buffaloes to Improve Bioconversion of Oil Palm Residues (Indonesia International Institute for Life Sciences and the University of California, Davis); One Fits All: Developing Decapods Biodiversity Research for Education, Conservation, and Research Benefits (Diponegoro University and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History); A Better Understanding of Future Seismic and Tsunami Hazards due to the Mentawai Seismic Gap, West Sumatra, Indonesia through Dense Geodetic Networks and Capacity Building Efforts (the University of Bengkulu and the University of Pittsburgh); and Integrated Watershed Management for Enhancing Local Livelihoods and Biodiversity Conservation in Indonesia (the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the East-West Center) |
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