Project Outline:

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Fungal degradation of leather products when stored are a serious problem in tropical countries with high levels of relative humidity. My project aims to develop non-leaching polymeric antimicrobial coatings for polyurethane (PU}-finished leather. The anticipated outcome is PU-finished leather surfaces with enhanced efficacy to repel fungi. 

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Reasons for applying for fellowship:

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I applied for this fellowship because I would like to expand and strengthen my scientific network with Australian scientists, which will, in turn, increase my bargaining position in my career stage. I would also like to enhance women’s role in science and in the development of my country. 

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Past Achievements:

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Bidhari obtained her Doctorate of Science Degree in Material Sciences from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) whose materials science department enjoys high international visibility as one of the top research organisations in the field. In the group of Prof. Marcus Textor at ETHZ, she was supervised by highly competent experts in the field of surface science and technology, in which she managed to complete her PhD project within less than 4 years. Bidhari has published a number of publications in high impact international journals, and now she has reached h-­index of 6, determining her productivity and the citation impact of her published works.  

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The co-authors of her publications come from diverse expertise around the world such as Prof. Carsten Werner (Leibniz Institute, Dresden), Prof. Henk Busscher (University of Groningen, The Netherlands), Prof. Viola Vogel (ETH Zurich, Switzerland), and Prof. Hongkai Wu (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology). This determines that Bidhari has a wide scientific network and high adaptability to interdisciplinary subjects. Locally, she also builds her scientific network with Indonesian scientists in Gadjah Mada University and Yogyakarta State University, by collaborating in several research projects.  

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Bidhari obtained her Master of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology in Goteborg, Sweden and her Bachelor Degree in Chemical Engineering from Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.  

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Since 2003, Bidhari is a state employee on Republic of Indonesia, under the Ministry of Industry. She was active in teaching in Department of Polymer Materials, Academy of Leather Technology, Yogyakarta and in Department of Industrial Chemical Engineering, College of Industrial Management, Jakarta. She was, several times, selected as one of best lecturers of the year in both departments. Bidhari is currently a Researcher at the Center for Leather, Rubber, and Plastics which belongs to the Ministry of Industry, Republic of Indonesia.  

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In 2011, Bidhari received an award and since then has become a fellow of the L'Oreal-UNESCO National Fellowship Program for Women in Science where her research topic was antimicrobial surfaces. Bidhari has also presented her research findings in Switzerland, Italy, and Indonesia, all while being a working mother. 

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