Grand Challenges in Global Health is a family of grants programs focused on one unifying purpose: To overcome persistent bottlenecks in creating new tools that can radically improve health in the developing world.
The Grand Challenges program was launched in 2003 and two years later, 43 grants totaling $436 million were awarded for research projects involving scientists in 33 countries. These projects are currently underway, managed by teams working in partnership across disciplines, sectors and countries. Many feature work from leaders in fields such as chemistry, engineering, statistics, and business, who have never before focused on global health.
Recognizing that great ideas can come from anywhere and anyone, in 2008 the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched Grand Challenges Explorations, a $100 million program to encourage even bolder and less conventional solutions.
Explorations is an agile, accelerated grant initiative with short two-page applications and no preliminary data required. Anyone with a bold idea that shows great promise can apply. Applications are submitted online, and winning grants are chosen approximately 4 months from the submission deadline. Initial grants of $100,000 are awarded two times a year. Successful projects have the opportunity to receive a follow-on grant of $1 million or more, and could eventually evolve into Grand Challenges project.
Grand Challenge Explorations grants have already been awarded for innovative, early-stage projects to 262 researchers from 30 countries.