Skip Navigation LinksHome > Explorations > Grants Awarded

 Grand Challenges Explorations Grants

Grand Challenges Explorations fosters creative projects that show great promise to improve the health of people in the developing world. Grants target an expanding set of global health topics, and there are two award rounds per year. Projects with demonstrated success in their initial phase of research have the opportunity to receive Phase II funding of up to $1 million.

On November 1, 2012, 94 researchers were awarded new Grand Challenges Explorations grants. Read more about these below. In addition, 15 Explorations projects were awarded Phase II funding. To read more about these new Phase II grants, select "Phase II" in the Grant Phase drop-down menu, while showing all topics and all rounds.

To review all Explorations projects, select “Show All Topics” in the Topic drop-down menu, "Show All Rounds" in the Date and Grant Round drop-down menu, and “Show All Phases” in the Grant Phase drop-down menu.
Topic
Technologies
Date and Grant Round
Grant Phase
Showing Grants 1 to 10 of 83
A Bacterial Protease Inhibitor is a Mucosal Adjuvant
Primary Investigator:
Juliana Cassataro, Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina - AR
Topic:
Round:
Round 4 – May 2010
Phase:
Phase I
Juliana Cassataro of Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET in Argentina will research whether a bacterial protein can function as both a protease inhibitor to protect antigens delivered in an oral vaccine from degradation and also as an adjuvant to stimulate an enhanced mucosal immune response.
A Low-Cost, Rapid, and Sensitive Malaria Diagnostic Tool
Primary Investigator:
Sang-Yeon Cho, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States - US
Topic:
Round:
Round 4 – May 2010
Phase:
Phase I
Sang-Yeon Cho and Immo Hansen of New Mexico State University in the U.S. seeks to develop a malaria test that measures antibody-antigen reactions through a nanohole to indicate the presence of malaria parasites.
A Novel Method for Controlling Fertility and STD
Primary Investigator:
Robert Aitken, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Northern Mariana Islands, Australia - AU
Topic:
Round:
Round 4 – May 2010
Phase:
Phase I
John Aitken of the University of Newcastle in Australia will study the mechanisms by which organic compounds called quinones may provide simultaneous protection against pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. Aitken will test the capability of quinones to react to enzymes in semen and not only immobilize sperm, but also disrupt the infective nature of pathogenic microbes found in STD infections such as Chlamydia
A Novel Test to Measure Mucosal Immunity to Vaccines
Primary Investigator:
Giulietta Saletti, International Vaccine Institute, Seoul, South Korea
Topic:
Round:
Round 4 – May 2010
Phase:
Phase I
Giulietta Saletti of the International Vaccine Institute in the Republic of Korea will work to develop an assay test that binds to tissue-specific cell markers to not only measure the concentration of anti-body secreting cells, but also identify which of those cells are targeted to mucosal tissues. If successful, this simple test that requires a small blood sample can be used in low-resource settings to measure mucosal immune responses to vaccines in infants and children.
A Novel Way Of Controlling Malaria Transmitting Mosquitoes
Primary Investigator:
Jasper Ogwal-Okeng, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda - UG
Topic:
Round:
Round 4 – May 2010
Phase:
Phase I
Jasper Ogwal-Okeng of Makerere University in Uganda will test whether the insect-eating plants can reduce the population of mosquitoes and their larvae. Ogwal-Okeng will study optimal numbers and placement of such plants and record subsequent impact on mosquito and larvae populations to further refine this vector control method.
A Single-Step Device for Monitoring Mucosal Iga Titers
Primary Investigator:
Kevin Plaxco, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States - US
Topic:
Round:
Round 4 – May 2010
Phase:
Phase I
Kevin Plaxco of the University of California, Santa Barbara, United States seeks to develop a diagnostics platform based upon measuring the electric current produced by the binding of antibodies to DNA molecules. If successful, this method will provide a rapid, single-step reagent free measurement of immune antibodies which could significantly augment disease detection and vaccine validation efforts.
A Toxin-Binding Probiotic for Prevention Of ETEC Diarrhea
Primary Investigator:
Adrienne Paton, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia - AU
Topic:
Round:
Round 4 – May 2010
Phase:
Phase I
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) cause diarrhea by producing two distinct enterotoxins that attack intestinal cells. Adrienne Paton and colleagues at the University of Adelaide in Australia propose to develop a harmless probiotic bacterium capable of binding and neutralizing both these enterotoxins by mimicking their respective receptors, thereby preventing disease.
A Zeolite Hydrogel 'Nano-Mop' For Contraception
Primary Investigator:
Benson Wamalwa, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya - KE
Topic:
Round:
Round 4 – May 2010
Phase:
Phase I
Benson Wamalwa of the University of Nairobi in Kenya will develop and test a vaginal gel that contains zeolite nanoparticles which soak up the fructose present in semen. By “mopping” up the fructose, this gel will rob sperm of the energy needed for motility. If successful, the gel could be used as an inexpensive, non-hormonal contraceptive.
An “Evolution-Proof” Bio-Pesticide to Control Malaria
Primary Investigator:
Jason Rasgon, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States - US
Topic:
Round:
Round 4 – May 2010
Phase:
Phase I
Jason Rasgon of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the U.S. will engineer a virus to express a scorpion toxin that kills mosquitoes. After infecting mosquito larvae, the virus will express the killer gene when the insect becomes old enough to reproduce, but not old enough to transmit the malaria parasite. By allowing the mosquito to reproduce, the virus not only will be transmitted vertically to the next generation, but will also significantly slow the evolution of resistance to the gene.
An Optical “Seek-And-Destroy” System To Vaccinate Against Leishmania Infection
Primary Investigator:
Owain Millington, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom - GB
Topic:
Round:
Round 4 – May 2010
Phase:
Phase I
Owain Millington and Gail McConnell of University of Strathclyde in the United Kingdom seek to adapt existing imaging systems to provide non-invasive in vivo imaging of Leishmania parasites present in macrophages and dendritic cells, and then use a targeted laser to destroy them. They will also test the hypothesis that targeting these cells for destruction will stimulate protective immunity against future Leishmania parasite infections.
1 - 10 Next

 Grand Challenges Explorations

 Apply For A Grant

 Map of Grants

 E-mail Updates