LPDP RISPRO International Collaboration (Historical Reference)

LPDP RISPRO International Collaboration (Historical Reference)

LPDP RISPRO Kolaborasi Internasional, usually shortened to RISPRO KI, is a research-funding scheme operated by Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP), the Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia. It is intended for strategic basic research carried out with an overseas research partner through a joint call, matching fund, or co-funding arrangement.

This page is a historical reference, not a claim that a 2026 application window is open. LPDP’s official RISPRO KI page remains available and still describes the scheme, its criteria, selection stages, funding ceiling, and eligible cost categories. However, that page does not publish a current call-specific closing date. Its registration link points to the official eRISPRO portal, but the portal landing page does not identify a dated, active RISPRO KI call. The latest dated RISPRO KI call evidence located from LPDP’s official channel was the 2020 call, which accepted registrations through 2020-06-28. That date is retained in the front matter as the last verified closing date rather than replaced with an invented future deadline.

Applicants should therefore wait for a new LPDP announcement or a named RISPRO partner to publish the next theme, timetable, and submission instructions. The standing framework below is useful for preparation, but it cannot substitute for the next call notice. A future call may narrow the subject area, change document requirements, appoint a different partner, or set different dates.

Verified program snapshot

The word “historical” is important here. It does not mean that LPDP has publicly declared the scheme discontinued. The official page continues to describe RISPRO KI as a standing funding mechanism. It means that readers do not have a verified current closing date and should not treat the archived date as a new opportunity to submit. The page is kept available so research teams can understand the scheme and prepare evidence while waiting for an official call.

What RISPRO KI funds

LPDP describes RISPRO KI as a basic-research scheme with a theme established by LPDP and delivered with an external party. The intended results are internationally credible research outputs, not merely an overseas visit or a general academic exchange. The official framework lists scientific articles, registered intellectual property, technology or product prototypes, and social-engineering models as possible outputs.

The publication requirements are demanding. The lead researcher is expected to have at least two scientific articles, as first author and/or corresponding author, accepted in highly reputable international journals indexed in Q1 of Scopus. The lead researcher must also have at least one accepted Q1 Scopus-indexed article co-authored with the research partner. These are program-level output requirements described by LPDP; the next call may provide more detailed timing, evidence, or monitoring rules.

The funding ceiling is a maximum, not an automatic award. LPDP states that a research title may receive up to IDR 2,000,000,000 per year and up to IDR 6,000,000,000 across a three-year period. The framework also says that funding can last up to three years and may be extended for up to another three years. A proposal should request only the amount that its work plan, personnel plan, partner responsibilities, and outputs can justify.

The cost structure matters when building a draft budget. At least 95% of the total should be direct costs, while indirect costs may account for no more than 5%. Direct personnel costs are capped at 30% of total RISPRO KI funding. LPDP lists personnel and administrator honoraria, consumables, references and data, laboratory equipment or testing services, training and seminars, domestic travel, field workers and experts, article registration, intellectual-property or standards administration, printing, and eligible international travel among the possible direct-cost categories.

International travel is not an unrestricted mobility allowance. LPDP’s framework limits it to a maximum of two trips per year and a total allocation of no more than IDR 250,000,000 per year. The listed purpose must be tied to research activity such as a focus group, capacity building, testing, survey, observation, seminar, or dissemination. The framework excludes land or property purchases, operational vehicles, construction of buildings or offices, guarantees and loans, cash grants to other parties or communities, and costs unrelated to the stated research outputs.

Eligibility checks before a future call

The first gate is the lead researcher. LPDP requires the RISPRO KI proposal to be led by a researcher with at least a doctoral degree. The lead must not be undertaking further study or another academic activity such as academic recharging or a postdoctoral program. This is not a formality: the lead is responsible for the research design, team coordination, reporting, and delivery of the outputs. A team should confirm the status of the proposed lead before drafting a full application.

The second gate is the overseas partner. LPDP defines the research partner as a researcher or research group from an overseas university, research and development institution, or similar entity. The partnership must be documented. The official LPDP help material says that a memorandum of understanding or a letter of intent from the overseas partner can be used as evidence, while the RISPRO KI page also refers to a cooperation agreement or another relevant document. Since a future call may specify the acceptable form, teams should secure an institutional document that names both sides, the research subject, the expected contribution, and the period of collaboration.

The third gate is the preliminary study. The proposed research must have a preliminary study consisting of at least three relevant scientific articles by the lead proposer as first author. LPDP’s page specifies that these articles must have been published in international journals indexed by Scopus at a minimum of Q2. Keep the article records ready: title, journal, DOI or stable identifier, Scopus status, publication date, and the paragraph or work package that each article supports. Do not assume that a large publication list can replace three relevant first-author studies.

The fourth gate is participation in only one proposal during a registration period. LPDP states that a RISPRO KI proposer, whether lead or member, may propose or register only one research proposal during a particular registration period. The team should therefore resolve overlapping roles before registration opens and keep a written record of each member’s proposal commitment.

Finally, check subject fit. RISPRO KI is theme-led. A strong project outside the theme can fail at administrative selection before reviewers examine its scientific quality. A group should not rely on the general RISPRO label alone; it must compare its research question and outputs with the specific theme and partner instructions in the next official announcement.

How to prepare and apply when a new call opens

Do not use the archived 2020 date to submit. Instead, use the following preparation sequence and replace it with the instructions in the next official call.

1. Confirm the announcement and partner

Start at the official LPDP RISPRO KI page and follow the linked eRISPRO route only after a dated announcement identifies the active theme, partner, registration window, and submission procedure. Save the announcement, guidelines, templates, and any amendment notice. Check whether the partner uses a separate portal or requires an initial expression of interest before the LPDP registration.

2. Test eligibility with documents in hand

Check the lead researcher’s doctorate and current academic status. Confirm that the overseas partner is eligible and that its institution can sign the required cooperation evidence. Map the three relevant Q2-or-higher Scopus articles and the lead researcher’s Q1 publication record. Also check that no proposed lead or member is committed to another RISPRO KI proposal in the same period.

3. Build the joint research plan

Write a concise research plan that links the problem, method, partner contribution, milestones, and outputs. The overseas partner should have a real work package, such as access to a facility or dataset, specialist methods, comparative fieldwork, validation, or joint analysis. State what each institution will provide in cash, staff time, facilities, data, or services. A signature without a defined contribution is weak collaboration evidence.

4. Prepare the budget against permitted costs

Create the budget from activities rather than from a desired total. Check the 95% direct-cost minimum, 5% indirect-cost maximum, 30% personnel ceiling, and the specific annual limit for international travel. Tie every major line to a milestone and output. Remove excluded items such as vehicles, buildings, land, loans, and unrelated cash assistance. Account for taxes and other applicable charges because LPDP states that the proposed amount must include them.

5. Assemble the submission package

Keep the proposal, CVs, publication evidence, institutional affiliation documents, partner agreement or letter, budget justification, work plan, data or ethics permissions, and any required declarations in the exact templates supplied by the call. Ask the research office to review institutional authority and signatures. Ask the partner to check the description of its role and the publication plan. If a required document is pending, identify that risk before registration rather than assuming it can be added later.

6. Submit through the named route and retain proof

When the call is open, complete the eRISPRO or partner registration exactly as instructed. Confirm that the proposal is attached to the correct scheme and theme, that the budget totals agree across files, and that the lead and members are entered consistently. Keep the submission receipt, timestamp, application number, and final uploaded files. The official framework describes administrative selection followed by substantive selection, so a technically strong proposal can still fail if the registration record or required documents are incomplete.

Selection and decision guidance

LPDP says administrative selection checks theme alignment, proposer criteria, and document completeness. Substantive selection examines the quality of the proposer, research outputs, research novelty or currency, and budget reasonableness. At least three reviewers assess the substantive stage, and LPDP states that approval requires collective and collegial recommendations with a minimum score of 75% of the maximum.

That structure suggests three practical review questions. First, can an administrator verify every eligibility claim quickly? Second, can a subject reviewer see why the overseas partner is necessary rather than decorative? Third, does the budget make the proposed outputs more credible instead of simply making the request larger? Answer these questions before the next call appears.

For now, the correct action is monitoring and preparation. The official LPDP page and eRISPRO portal are the places to recheck for a new theme and dated call. Until LPDP publishes that information, this entry should be read as an archive of the verified scheme and its last located call deadline, not as an open application listing.