The Professional Development and Engagement Programme will support the research environment and enable optimal impact from research, shaped by the demands and development priorities of the partner country.
The programme will:
- Support skills development in researchers, research managers, and support staff, to give them the knowledge and skills they need to better access funding, communicate their research, translate their research into benefit and work strategically and internationally.
- Support dialogue and knowledge exchange on research governance and strategic research policy development to ensure that the research environment in partner countries is more conducive to achieving maximum impact from high quality research.
- Build opportunities for researchers to engage with the wider community and with policy-makers so they are able to be more responsive to the needs of poorest communities and policy decisions are informed by up to date research evidence.
In Indonesia, Newton Fund has delivered management and leadership training on issues related to STEM Higher Education and Research for Indonesian policy makers including senior officials of the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education and senior officials of Indonesian leading universities. The professional development programme is a joint project between Newton Fund, the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education Indonesia, and Rolls Royce Indonesia. In 2014, Together with the Indonesian Institutes of Science (Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia - LIPI), Newton Fund conducted a Science Diplomacy Workshop to enhance Indonesian researchers’ communication skills and advocacy.
Newton Fund has also been honoured to support on institutional capacity building for the establishment of the Indonesian Science Fund (Dana Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia - DIPI) as the country’s first independent research funding entity envisioned to create a scientific culture of excellence by improving Indonesia’s research ecosystem and infrastructure.