Gates Foundation: Grand Challenges Explorations

Grand Challenges is a family of initiatives fostering innovation to solve key global health and development problems.

This call’s topics:

1. Accelerating Discovery for Non-Hormonal Contraceptives: seeks new approaches and concepts for the characterization of contraceptive drug targets, the identification of active contraceptive compounds, and the development of novel and impactful research tools with the potential to revolutionize the field of contraceptive R&D.

Funding: Awards of up to USD $2 million for up to 3 years

2. Improving Access to and Use of Safe and Appropriate Cesarean Section: seeks ideas for interventions to address challenges related to cesarean section: increasing access to cesarean section where it is currently inadequate, increasing quality and safety of cesarean section to reduce iatrogenic harm to both mothers and newborns, and reducing rates of non-medically indicated cesarean section.

Funding: Seed Grants of $100K for up to 24 months; Validation Grants of $300K for up to 24 months

3. Innovations in Materials Science for a Transformative Menstrual Health and Hygiene Product: seeks transformative and innovative ideas to support the design and development of a new menstrual health and hygiene product that meets key criteria of being responsive to user needs, focusing on discreetness, affordability, and sustainability.
4. Innovations for Improving the Impact of Health Campaigns: seeks innovative solutions that accelerate the improvement of coverage, reach, efficiency, and effectiveness of campaign-based delivery of health interventions.

Funding for opportunities 3 and 4: Awards of $100,000 USD are made for a grant period of 18 months and successful projects are eligible to receive follow-on funding of up to USD $1 million.

No overhead - please contact the research authority if planning to submit.