Dr. Derry Wijaya and Dr. Ika Idris Receive Google Academic Research Awards (GARA)

gara-award-2024Google's inaugural Google Academic Research Awards (GARA) program

Dr. Derry Wijaya and Dr. Ika Idris have been honored with the Google Academic Research Award (GARA) with total funding of $60,000 USD. This recognition not only highlights their exceptional research capabilities but also underscores the university's growing influence in the global academic landscape.

About the Google Academic Research Awards (GARA)

GARA is a highly competitive program designed to fund and collaborate with researchers worldwide, aiming to cultivate an ecosystem that generates impactful research with real-world applications. The program operates through a series of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) covering diverse research areas within technology and computing.

These RFPs will outline specific research challenges and opportunities that Google seeks to address through funding to and/or collaborations with academic institutions and researchers.

The program is open to professors (assistant, associate, etc.) at degree-granting institutions who are advising students and conducting research in the field of technology and computing.

The program supports 95 projects led by 143 researchers. These researchers represent 87 institutions spanning 24 countries, and their work aligns with Google's commitment to responsible innovation in six key areas:

  • Creating ML benchmarks for climate problems
  • Making education more equitable and accessible with AI
  • Quantum transduction and networking
  • Society-Centered AI
  • Trust & Safety
  • Using Gemini and Google's open model family to solve systems and infrastructure problems

gara-award-derry-wijaya-ika-idris

Dr. Derry Wijaya and Dr. Ika Idris receiving the GARA award

About the Research

Dr. Derry Wijaya, Associate Professor in Data Science, and Dr. Ika Idris, Associate Professor in Public Policy and Management, both from Monash University, Indonesia, have secured a research award in the Society-Centered AI category. This research category aims to harness AI for societal benefit through a multi-stakeholder approach. Research proposals should advance AI applications for underserved communities, promote stakeholder participation in AI development, or study the integration of AI and society.

Their winning research topic is, "Contextualizing LLMs use for women's sexual and reproductive health support in Indonesia." This research will focus on contextualizing the use of Large Language Models, such as ChatGPT, to support women's access to sexual and reproductive healthcare in Indonesia.

Ika and Derry are currently the Co-Directors of the Monash Data & Democracy Research Hub, one of the research centers at Monash University Indonesia that aims to promote digital resilience in democracy through data-driven research and analysis. Previously, MDDRH has conducted several studies related to AI and large language models (LLM), including a project on Hate Speech Monitoring during the 2024 Election and research on online polarization.

As we congratulate Dr. Derry Wijaya and Dr. Ika Idris on this remarkable achievement, we eagerly anticipate the potential impact of their research. This award serves as a testament to Monash University, Indonesia's commitment to pioneering research and its potential to drive positive change in society through the responsible application of artificial intelligence.