Leave a Nest Malaysia Announces Winner of Local Insights Impact Award L-Grant
SHAH ALAM, MALAYSIA – April 30, 2026 – Leave a Nest Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. has officially concluded its 3rd L-Grant (Leave a Nest Grant) cycle, awarding the prestigious Local Insights Impact Award to Dr. Santhra Segaran Balan from Management & Science University (MSU). Under the theme “Transforming localized insights into worldwide impact,” the program highlights how Malaysian biodiversity can provide scalable solutions for global health challenges.
A Rigorous Path to Innovation
The L-Grant saw a record-breaking interest, attracting 82 applications primarily from public universities (85.4%), alongside private institutions and government research bodies. The selection process followed a high-stakes, multi-stage funnel:
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Technical Screening: The Malaysian Research Division and selected Leave a Nest directors screened entries based on academic rigor and research potential.
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High-Stakes Interviews: The top 10 finalists which representing institutions from both public and private universities like UKM, Taylor’s University, UTM, and Sunway University. They presented projects ranging from carbon capture to durian seed biotransformation.
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Final Leadership Review: Senior leadership from Japan together with Leave a Nest Malaysia members selected the award recipient after thorough discussions.
Winning Research: The Power of the ‘Rambai' Fruit
Dr. Santhra Segaran Balan emerged as the winner for his proposed study: “Anti-Obesity Bioactive Compounds from Baccaurea motleyana for Metabolic Syndrome Prevention”.
Commonly known as the Rambai fruit, this local resource contains potent carotenoids, phenolic compounds, and terpenes. Dr. Santhra’s research utilizes rigorous in-vivo (animal) pharmacology studies to verify the fruit's anti-obesity properties, addressing a critical health crisis in Malaysia, which has some of the highest obesity rates globally.
The Award Ceremony at MSU
The cycle culminated in an official awarding ceremony today at the Management & Science University (MSU) Management Tower. The event was attended by 33 researchers and lecturers, including Professor Dr. Norfilza Mohd Mokhtar, Vice President for Research at MSU.
During the ceremony, Mr. Hakim Sahidi, Managing Director of Leave a Nest Malaysia, presented Dr. Santhra with a RM 7,000 grant. The grant is designed as “seed funding” to help young researchers bridge the gap between laboratory hypotheses and commercial application without claiming any ownership of the researcher's Intellectual Property.
About the L-Grant
Established in Japan in 2009, the L-Grant was created by graduate students to support young, passionate researchers. It focuses on “Knowledge Manufacturing,” encouraging scientists to step out of the lab to solve pressing societal issues. Previous News Release about the Grant: https://grant.lne.st/grant/l-grant-local-insights-impact-award-in-malaysia/