UMPSA receives MOSTI funding amounting RM6,965,500 for EYE-TREE project

CYBERJAYA, 24 November 2025 – Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) received funding from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) through the EYE-TREE project with a total allocation of RM6,965,500 under the Strategic Research Fund for the project ‘Development of Integrated Technologies for Efficient Recovery of Rare Earth Elements from Ionic Adsorption Clay (IAC) (EYE-TREE)’.

The funding handover ceremony was presented by the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), Ts. Rushdi Abdul Rahim, to the UMPSA Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr Yatimah Alias, in conjunction with the Seminar Mineral on Resources Technology (SMART) 2025 at MIGHT, Cyberjaya, recently.

According to Professor Dr Yatimah, this project is one of the initiatives under the National Advanced Materials Programme (NAMPRO) in collaboration with MIGHT as the Monitoring and Implementing Agency to execute all activities related to the EYE-TREE project with a total allocation of RM6,965,500 from the overall project amount of RM15,000,000.

“In addition to UMPSA, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) also received the research funding.

“With UMPSA’s expertise through the project leader, Associate Professor Ts. Dr Mohd Yusri Mohd Yunus, and the research team from the Centre for Sustainability of Mineral and Resource Recovery Technology (SMRRT) as well as the Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology (FTKKP), which has been the core of REE research development since 2013, we are now ready to expand our role through collaboration with other strategic partners such as MIGHT and UMK.

“UMPSA will conduct joint research that has the potential to generate intellectual property and commercial products through national research funding, especially with MOSTI,” she said.

She added that this grant aims to develop integrated technology covering environmentally friendly leaching, advanced separation, and metal conversion technology to support national aspirations in a sustainable and competitive REE value chain.

This includes sharing technical expertise, developing training programmes, providing mutual access to research facilities, and organising joint seminars, workshops, and conferences to cultivate continuous knowledge sharing.

Meanwhile, the implementation period for this project is 36 months beginning 1 November 2025 under the Centre for Sustainability of Mineral and Resource Recovery Technology (SMaRRT) UMPSA.

Also present were the Deputy Secretary, Strategic Technology and S&T Applications Division, MOSTI, Ts. Dr Radin Zulhazmi Radin Abdul Halim; the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Professor Ts. Dr Aida Mustapha; and the Senior Director, Centre for Rare Earth & Critical Mineral, Associate Professor Ts. Dr Mohd Yusri Mohd Yunus.

This strategic collaboration is expected to become a catalyst for the development of a high-technology-based economy and ensure that the nation’s natural resource management is conducted with full integrity and responsibility for Malaysia’s sustainable future.

By: Mimi Rabita Abd Wahit, Centre for Corporate Communications

Translation by: Dr. Rozaimi Abu Samah, UMPSA Press