Balikpapan — The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, through the Directorate of Downstreaming and Partnerships under the Directorate General of Research and Development, has officially opened the 2026 Call for Proposals for the Downstreaming and Partnership Program. This announcement was issued through Letter Number 532/DST/C4/AL.04.00/2026 dated July 9, 2026.

The Downstreaming and Partnership Program is designed to accelerate the downstreaming of university research outcomes toward commercialization and implementation in society. Through the funding schemes provided, this program is expected to strengthen collaboration between higher education institutions and industry, government, institutions, as well as international partners.

According to the announcement, proposal submissions are open for several main programs, namely:

1. Research Downstreaming Program
   • Priority Research Downstreaming – Technology Push Scheme
     This scheme is part of the Research Downstreaming ecosystem developed through a Technology Push approach. It places pre-feasibility studies as a strategic evaluation instrument before a technology proceeds to the downstreaming stage. The scheme focuses on supporting product or technology validation and the preparation of a solid downstreaming roadmap for products or technologies.
   • Research Downstreaming – SINERGI Scheme Phase 2
     This scheme is a continuation of the research downstreaming program that has already been implemented. It is designed as a collaboration platform between universities, industry, ministries, institutions, local governments, and other stakeholders to develop innovations based on real-world needs. In this second-phase funding, the SINERGI scheme focuses on strategic themes such as energy security, food security, waste management and processing, health, digitalization/AI, semiconductors, robotics, as well as downstreaming and industrialization.
   • Strategic Research Downstreaming – Deeptech Hackathon Scheme
     This program provides funding for public and private universities to organize collaborative innovation competitions within a short time frame. The scheme brings together lecturers, students, professionals, and industry practitioners to design, test, and validate technological solutions quickly and effectively, transforming research results into prototypes ready for further development. This program is expected to strengthen the innovation ecosystem and encourage the creation of sustainable technology solutions.
2. International Collaborative Research Program
   The International Collaborative Research Program is designed to facilitate and encourage research collaboration between lecturers or researchers at Indonesian higher education institutions and research partners from overseas institutions. The program emphasizes the principle of equal partnership, with reciprocal contributions in both in-kind and in-cash forms, in order to enhance national research capacity and expand academic networks within the global ecosystem. In addition, the program is also intended to support the achievement of key performance indicators, strengthen the global recognition of Indonesian universities, and encourage research downstreaming aligned with national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Directorate of Downstreaming and Partnerships invites university leaders, heads of Higher Education Service Institutions, heads of LP/LPM/LPPM/DRI/DKST or university research downstreaming management units, as well as university International Offices, to take note of this opportunity and actively participate in submitting proposals.

The proposal submission procedures, schedule, submission deadlines, and complete guidelines for each scheme can be accessed through the official website:
https://hiliriset.kemdiktisaintek.go.id/guide

Through the opening of this program, it is hoped that more university research outputs will not stop at academic publication, but can move further into innovations that are useful, applicable, and impactful for society and national development.