Five Outstanding Teams Awarded the Science Castle Grant at the Kenyalang Thinkathon Challenge 2026 Sarawak

Leave a Nest Malaysia would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the Science Castle Grant Awardees of the Kenyalang Thinkathon Challenge 2026. We also express our sincere appreciation to every participating student, teacher, mentor, and partner who made this programme a success.

The Kenyalang Thinkathon Challenge 2026 is an initiative by the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) Sarawak together Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC). Through the Science Castle Grant, the programme aims to empower secondary school students in Sarawak to conduct research that addresses real challenges faced by their local communities and contributes towards the state's sustainable development.

The two-day programme brought together 20 outstanding teams from across Sarawak to transform their ideas into research proposals focused on solving issues within the state. Throughout the challenge, participants attended workshops on proposal development using the QPMI (Question, Passion, Mission, Innovation) framework and explored how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used responsibly to strengthen idea generation, literature review, proposal writing, and research planning. Students also received valuable feedback from researchers and industry experts to refine their proposals before the final evaluation.

Following the proposal presentations and judging session, five teams were selected to receive the Science Castle Grant, sponsored by MEITD Sarawak. These teams demonstrated strong scientific thinking, innovative ideas, feasibility, and the potential to create meaningful impact for Sarawak.
The recipients of the Science Castle Grant 2026 are:

As Science Castle Grant recipients, these five teams will embark on a five-month research journey under the mentorship of researchers from Leave a Nest Malaysia. Throughout the programme, they will receive continuous guidance in research planning, experimentation, validation, data analysis, and scientific communication to further develop their projects into impactful research outcomes. At the end of the mentorship programme, the teams will present their research findings before a panel of judges.

The programme will culminate with the selection of one outstanding team, which will be awarded a fully sponsored educational and research trip to Japan in December 2026. This international experience will provide students with the opportunity to visit leading research institutions and innovative companies, exchange ideas with Japanese researchers, and experience Japan's science and technology ecosystem while representing Sarawak on a global stage.

Leave a Nest Malaysia would like to express its deepest appreciation to the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) Sarawak for funding the Science Castle Grant and for its continued commitment to nurturing young researchers across the state. We also thank the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) for its collaboration in making the programme possible and for continuously supporting STEM education and innovation among Sarawakian youth.

Congratulations once again to all the Science Castle Grant Awardees. We also commend all 20 participating teams for their enthusiasm, creativity, and determination throughout the Kenyalang Thinkathon Challenge 2026. We look forward to witnessing the innovative research and positive impact that these young researchers will create for the future of Sarawak.