THE NEED

› To achieve breakthroughs in global health, we must encourage risk-taking on creative, unorthodox ideas

THE INITIATIVE

› US$100 million fast-track grants initiative of the Gates Foundation

› Will support hundreds of early-stage research projects on creative concepts for new global health solutions

› Initial grants of $100,000; opportunities for future funding

KEY GOAL – PROMOTE GREATER DIVERSITY IN GLOBAL HEALTH RESEARCH

The initiative aims to:

› Support paradigm-changing ideas that have never before been tested, and that might not stand up to traditional peer review

› Involve scientists around the world, including those who don’t typically work in global health

› This includes innovators in the developing world, from complementary disciplines, and in the private sector, as well as young investigators

FAST-TRACK GRANTS

New fast-track grantmaking to make it easy for scientists to apply:

› Relatively short funding proposals

› Preliminary data not necessarily required

› Fast proposal review (approximately three months)

› Multiple calls for proposals on rolling basis

› Each funding round will address a few specific topics or themes

GETTING INVOLVED

› Sign up at www.gcgh.org for email updates about Explorations funding opportunities

› First call for grant proposals to be posted in early 2008

› Spread the word to colleagues, and encourage them to sign up on the website