As part of the Grand Challenges in Global Health program, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) sought innovative approaches to discover new chemical entities with novel mechanisms of action for use in insecticides to control malaria. 

$6 million in grant funding was offered for this new Grand Challenges: Vector-based Control of Transmission Discovery Research (VCTR) grant program. 

This grant opportunity closed on June 25, 2010.

Current efforts aimed at the control of the mosquito vectors of malaria rely heavily on a limited number of related products for insecticide treated bednets, for indoor residual spraying and for chemical larvicides. These products act on a very limited number of mosquito targets and are subject to failure as a result of the selection and spread of insecticide resistance. Despite the importance of insecticides in controlling the devastating impact of malaria, no new products have been developed for public health use in malaria endemic countries in 30 years.

To address this situation, this program seeks to support projects that will discover new active ingredients with novel mechanisms of action as the basis for insecticide development. It is envisioned that chemical leads identified in these projects can be taken forward in collaboration with an industrial partner.