Gates Foundation's Grand Challenges Explorations grants
invest in bold ideas to address global health and development
challenges
SEATTLE, Nov. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced more than
$21 million US in new grants through
its Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE) initiative. GCE is a tiered
granting mechanism that funds innovative ideas to tackle key global
health and development problems, and provides additional resources
for projects that demonstrate initial promise. Included in today's
announcement is the first group of grantees who were selected, in
partnership with Cannes Lions, to identify new ways to communicate
that foreign aid is working. Also new to this round are projects
working to develop new anti-malarial drugs thanks to unprecedented
access to 400 compounds in the "Malaria Box."
Following promising results from initial GCE grants made
earlier, 15 projects were awarded additional funding. A suite of
Phase II projects take a variety of approaches that could
contribute to the goal of malaria eradication, including:
- Filippo Mancia of
Columbia University in the United States will examine the molecular
details of how malaria-transmitting mosquitoes use their sense of
smell to find humans, a first step in designing better insect
repellents.
- Ali Salanti of the
University of Copenhagen in
Denmark will develop and test a
combined malaria vaccine candidate with the cervical cancer vaccine
that has the potential of protecting against both diseases
simultaneously.
- Mark Mescher, Consuelo De Moraes, and Andrew Read of Pennsylvania State
University in the United
States are identifying and studying characteristic odors
associated with malaria infection that could be developed into a
simple diagnostic test.
Other projects funded in this second phase range from diagnostic
tools to vaccines, and include:
- Michelle McIntosh of Monash
University in Australia will
test a dry powder formulation of the drug oxytocin, which is used
to treat post-partum bleeding, in an inexpensive, inhalable format
that would not require refrigeration and be suitable for use in
remote areas.
"Investments in innovative global health research are already
paying off," said Chris Wilson,
director of Global Health Discovery and Translational Sciences at
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "We continue to be
impressed by the novelty and innovative spirit of Grand Challenges
Explorations projects and are enthusiastic about this exciting
research. These investments hold real potential to yield new
solutions to improve the health of millions of people in the
developing world, and ensure that everyone has the chance to live a
healthy productive life."
Ninety-four projects representing 19 countries were funded at
the Phase I level. These grants allow researchers to begin testing
bold ideas for global health and development that could transform
the lives of those most in need, including:
- International Pen Pals - Michael
Harrison of Deep International Ltd. in Cyprus will develop an online tool that
connects children from developing countries with children in the
developed world who share a birthday to share personal stories
about how development aid is making a difference.
- Parasites that Glow - Using the anti-malarial compounds
from the Malaria Box, Koen Dechering
of TropIQ Health Sciences in the
Netherlands proposes to develop a high-throughput assay
using parasites that emit light as they develop in mosquitos'
stomachs to allow easy identification of compounds that block
malaria transmission.
- Crop Camouflage - James
Rogers of aPEEL Technology in the
United States will develop a molecular camouflage that uses
natural plant extracts to create an ultrathin barrier that is
applied to crops. This can protect crops from bacteria, fungi, and
insects; reduce crop destruction; and possibly extend the foods'
shelf life without refrigeration.
- Vaccine Monitors - Noor Sabah Rakhshani of the Trust for
Vaccines and Immunization in Pakistan will develop children's ankle bands
that change color when children are due for their next
vaccination.
Thanks to the Medicines for Malaria Venture's "Malaria
Box" with compounds from the chemical libraries of St. Jude
Children's Research Hospital, Novartis, and GlaxoSmithKline,
researchers have new access to a wealth of chemo-biological
information as a starting point for the development of next
generation anti-malarial drugs essential for achieving the goal of
malaria eradication. Grantees working on the "Aid is Working. Tell
the World" topic will have unprecedented access to communications
experts at Cannes Chimera to develop their ideas and put them into
action. A full list of Phase I and Phase II GCE projects and grant
recipients can be found here.
Applications for the current open round, Grand Challenges
Explorations Round 10, are being accepted through November 7, 2012 on the following topics:
- New Approaches in Model Systems, Diagnostics, and Drugs for
Specific Neglected Tropical Diseases
- Labor Saving Innovations for Women Smallholder Farmers
- New Approaches for the Interrogation of Anti-malarial
Compounds
- Aid is Working. Tell the World (Part 2) – in partnership with
Cannes Lions
About Grand Challenges Explorations
Grand Challenges
Explorations is a US$100 million
initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Launched in 2008, over 800 projects in almost 50 countries have
received Grand Challenges Explorations grants. The grant program is
open to anyone from any discipline and from any organization. The
initiative uses an agile, accelerated grant-making process with a
two-page online application and no preliminary data required.
Initial grants of US$100,000 are
awarded two times a year. Successful projects have the opportunity
to receive a follow-on grant of up to US$1
million.
About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead
healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on
improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift
themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all
people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to
the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in
Seattle, Washington, the
foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes
and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr.,
under the direction of Bill and Melinda
Gates and Warren Buffett.
SOURCE Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation