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  • Tanoto Foundation Awards First Medical Research Grants of S$5M to Advance Research in Maternal & Child Health and Cardiology

    Tanoto Foundation Awards First Medical Research Grants of S$5M to Advance Research in Maternal & Child Health and Cardiology

    Singapore, 4 July 2024 – Tanoto Foundation today announced the first three recipients of the Tanoto Foundation Medical Research Fund (“MRF”) at Tanoto Foundation’s inaugural Medical Philanthropy Forum. The funding of up to S$5 million per year has been awarded to three research projects, which were selected out of over 100 applications. The MRF was launched in 2023 to support research excellence and collaborative efforts to generate innovations that will address Asia-prevalent diseases. As the first private philanthropic foundation to launch such a fund in Singapore, Tanoto Foundation seeks to foster a culture of sustainable giving that amplifies the long-term impact of philanthropy-funded research. The MRF’s main objectives are to support effective research (new discoveries), catalyse additional funding and cultivate local research talent. Ultimately, the research outcomes should be made accessible and beneficial for the public good. For the inaugural MRF call for proposals, Tanoto Foundation has prioritised two research focus areas namely: 1) Cardiology and 2) Maternal and Child Health, for funding.

    The following three proposals have been awarded based on these criteria: potential for impact, robustness of approach, track record of study team and strength of collaboration. The chosen projects cover:

    1. Improving Cardiometabolic Risk Management in Diabetes: Cardiovascular diseases are the most common causes of death in Singapore, with heart attacks and strokes occurring a decade earlier and with a 2 to 4 times higher rate in diabetes patients than non-diabetics. Associate Professor Rinkoo Dalan, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, has identified factors contributing towards worse metabolic and vascular function in type 2 diabetes patients. Her research team will look to generate evidence contributing towards a low-cost solution to manage and lower cardiovascular risks in type 2 diabetes patients.

    2. Understanding Fertility Decline: Professor Brian Kennedy, National University of Singapore, will be furthering his studies into maternal fertility decline due to ovarian aging, looking to identify its most prolific causes and investigate safer and more effective reproductive interventions to preserve ovarian functions, extend fertility, mitigate menopause-related complications and promote the general well-being of aging women.

    3. Addressing the Increase in Childhood Allergies: With allergy sufferers on the rise and long-term adverse effects on children becoming more common, Associate Professor, Ashley St John, from Duke-NUS Medical School, will investigate the transmission of allergic diseases from mother to offspring in humans during pregnancy. The research will help better understand the risks and long-term consequences of childhood allergies and potentially discover prevention therapies.

    Bey Soo Khiang, Executive Advisor, Tanoto Foundation, commented: “Tanoto Foundation was founded based on the belief that everyone has the right to maximise his or her full potential. If one is burdened by illnesses, he or she cannot live life to the fullest. Hence, we leveraged Singapore’s quality healthcare and research ecosystem and set up the Tanoto Foundation Medical Research Fund to support impactful ground-up medical discoveries, catalyse additional and consistent funding opportunities, and nurture local research talent in Singapore. Our grant of S$5 million per year will contribute to the advancement of new medical solutions and improve population health in Singapore.”

    The research projects were announced at the first Tanoto Foundation Medical Philanthropy Forum. The forum which convened clinicians and scientists included a panel discussion titled ‘Philanthropy’s Impact on Medical Innovation: Accelerating Research to Real-World Medical Solutions in Singapore’, featured medical experts and speakers:

    • Associate Professor Lim Su Chi, Clinical Director, Clinical Research Unit, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital
    • Professor Chong Yap Seng, Dean, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
    • Clinical Associate Professor Ng Kee Chong, Chief Executive Officer, Changi General Hospital

    During the panel, the three speakers highlighted that medical research serves as a critical extension and reflection of unmet healthcare needs. They note that many areas are currently underfunded, and affirmed the role of philanthropy in addressing these funding gaps. The panellists also emphasised the importance of encouraging collaboration between medical professionals, philanthropists and policymakers, to ensure the implementation of scalable medical interventions from ideation to fruition, for the benefit of communities in Singapore and the region.

    The application process for Tanoto Foundation Medical Research Fund 2025 opens in September 2024. Find out more here: www.tanotofoundation.org/en/medical-research/

    For further information, images or interviews, please contact
    Yeelim Lee, Tanoto Foundation: Email: yeelim_lee@tanoto-foundation.org
    Dian Anderson, Tanoto Foundation: Email: dian_anderson@tanoto-foundation.org
    Merlyn Kang, FTI Consulting: Email: merlyn.kang@fticonsulting.com

    About Tanoto Foundation

    Tanoto Foundation is an independent philanthropic organisation founded in 1981 by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto based on the belief that every person should have the opportunity to realise his or her full potential. Tanoto Foundation programmes stem from the belief that quality education accelerates equal opportunity. We harness the transformative strength of education to realise people’s full potential and improve lives. Tanoto Foundation focuses on making an impact in three main areas: improving learning environments, future leader’s development, as well as medical research and sciences. More information is available at www.tanotofoundation.org/en/.

    About Tanoto Foundation’s Medical Research Fund

    Tanoto Foundation (TF) supports medical research with the aim of improving population health in Singapore and beyond. With the launch of the Tanoto Foundation Medical Research Fund (MRF), TF intends to support research excellence and collaborative efforts to generate new discoveries, catalyse additional funding and cultivate local research talent. Ultimately the research outcomes should be made accessible and beneficial for the public good.

    With this fund, TF seeks to foster a culture of sustainable giving that amplifies the long-term impact of philanthropic-funded research through partnerships with leading healthcare and research institutions in Singapore.

    Quotes From Grant Winners

    Associate Professor Rinkoo Dalan, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, comments: “Understanding and mitigating cardiovascular risks is critical for the long-term health of diabetes patients. One of the gaps in cardiometabolic risk management is inefficient evidence-based interventions to manage low-grade inflammation. Through the support of the Tanoto Foundation Medical Research Fund, our research team of clinicians, engineers and immunologists will be investigating the potential of Colchicine, an anti-inflammatory drug traditionally used to treat Gout, as a low-cost solution to reduce cardiovascular risk for type 2 diabetes patients.”

    Professor Brian Kennedy, National University of Singapore, comments: Our society is changing. The need to understand modern medical issues and create solutions is an imperative. The Tanoto Foundation’s Medical Research Fund grant will make it possible for us to investigate the causes of ovarian aging. At present the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. As fertility and birth rates fall and the population is increasingly elderly, a limiting factor for women looking to have children later in life is the aging of the ovaries. Our research will investigate the causes of ovarian aging and ultimately seek to understand how to facilitate ovarian health longevity and extend the fertility period.

    Associate Professor Ashley St John, Duke-NUS Medical School, comments: “Allergies affect up to 30% of the global population, with increasing prevalence in Southeast Asia. Current studies emphasize the long-term adverse effects on childhood wellbeing as a result of allergies, yet there are no known strategies to prevent the initiation of allergic responses. The Tanoto Foundation Medical Research Fund grant will facilitate our investigation into allergic transmissions from mother to offspring during pregnancy, analysing why and how infants develop allergies to the same allergens as their mothers, with the ultimate goal of finding preventative solutions to stop the transfer of allergens and diminish the number of infant cases.”

    Ko Zin Thet

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  • Tanoto Foundation Launches Fellowship Program to Create Future Development Actors

    Tanoto Foundation Launches Fellowship Program to Create Future Development Actors

    Jakarta, June 6, 2024 – Quality education is the key to a nation’s successful development. The better the quality of a nation’s education, the higher the quality of its human resources, which will have a direct impact on the success of development.

    However, improving the quality of education, especially in Indonesia, is a significant and ongoing task that requires the involvement of various parties. Furthermore, it necessitates more development actors who are concerned and dedicated, particularly in the education sector.

    Therefore, Tanoto Foundation has launched the Tanoto Foundation Fellowship Program, an initiative aimed at creating development actors in the field of education through exclusive opportunities to learn and directly engage in the education ecosystem in Tanoto Foundation’s intervention areas for a full year. The program recipients will also be mentored by experienced mentors, both from the internal Tanoto Foundation team and other development partners.

    Tanoto Foundation, an independent philanthropic organization in the field of education founded by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto in 1981, has implemented various programs and collaborations with the government and development partners in efforts to enhance human resources through education. This is based on the belief that quality education accelerates the creation of equal opportunities. Therefore, in its first year, the Tanoto Foundation Fellowship Program will focus on education in line with the programs that have been run by Tanoto Foundation to date.

    “This new initiative is a form of our ongoing commitment to improving human resources, particularly in Indonesia. I hope this program will produce capable leaders who can continue the baton of development in the future and leaders who can make a positive and sustainable impact for the glory of Indonesia,” said Inge Kusuma, Country Head of Tanoto Foundation Indonesia, at the launch of the Tanoto Foundation Fellowship Program on Thursday, June 6, 2024.

    At the same event, Drs. Amich Alhumami, MA, M.Ed, Ph.D., Deputy for Human, Community, and Cultural Development, Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, stated that preparing excellent human resources is as important as infrastructure, economy, and other sectors, even becoming a key factor in national development.

    “Tanoto Foundation has so far shown a commitment to focusing on education, which is the backbone of national development. Now, through the Tanoto Foundation Fellowship Program, we hope to produce excellent individuals who will aid Indonesia’s development through the educational path,” said Amich.

    The Tanoto Foundation Fellowship Program is open to young people up to 26 years old who have completed at least a bachelor’s degree. Selected participants must commit to following the Fellowship program, which consists of five stages as follows:

    1. Orientation or Induction, to understand the philosophy and context of development, education, and its ecosystem;

    2. Ecosystem Immersion, where participants will conduct field visits and interact with stakeholders to immerse themselves in the education and development ecosystem;

    3. Designing Initiatives, aimed at learning to identify gaps between the ideal condition and the current condition, and designing initiative proposals to contribute;

    4. Initiative Implementation, facilitating participants to implement their initiatives through collaboration with relevant stakeholders, and striving to make an impact;

    5. Final Reflection and Closure, to conclude the program journey and draw lessons, as well as compile impact stories that have been made.

    Additionally, participants will also attend leadership camp activities to sharpen leadership values and a sustainable impact mindset.

    After the program is completed, participants can continue to contribute and multiply the impact for Indonesia’s development through their organizations or workplaces, and they can also develop their own initiatives or social enterprises. Additionally, Tanoto Fellows will become part of the Tanoto Foundation Fellows Network, which can serve as a lifelong learning platform and collaboration partner.

    The launch of the Tanoto Foundation Fellowship Program was held on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at the Museum of National Awakening, Jakarta, and was attended by government representatives, universities, development partners, and youth organizations.

    The event also featured a discussion titled “The Direction of Indonesia’s Educational Awakening,” with Iwan Syahril, Ph.D. (Director General of Early Childhood, Primary, and Secondary Education, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology), Gusman Yahya (Executive Director, Indonesian Philanthropy Association), and Maudy Ayunda (Educator, Creator, and Investor).

    Registration for the Tanoto Foundation Fellowship Program is open until July 6, 2024, and can be accessed through bit.ly/TF-Fellowship2024.

    Email: communication@www.tanotofoundation.org
    Website: www.tanotofoundation.org

    About Tanoto Foundation

    Tanoto Foundation is an independent philanthropic organization in the field of education founded by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto in 1981 based on the belief that every individual should have the opportunity to realize their full potential. Tanoto Foundation’s programs are designed based on the philosophy that quality education accelerates the creation of equal opportunities. We develop individual potential and improve living standards through quality education from early childhood to productive age. Tanoto Foundation’s three pillars of commitment are improving learning environments, developing future leaders, and facilitating medical research.

    Ko Zin Thet

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