Calling everyone with good ideas: engineers, public health professionals, designers, entrepreneurs, students, inventors, nongovernmental organizations, scientists. Please share this announcement with your networks and colleagues. There are only two weeks left—the deadline is May 15!
What could you prove with $100,000?
Gates Foundation seeks bold new ideas to optimize immunization systems
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Explorations grant program is offering US$100,000 grants to help prove the potential of innovative approaches to optimize immunization systems. Successful projects may be eligible for additional funding up to $1 million.
A search for daring solutions
Anyone with a good idea is eligible to submit a two-page proposal. That includes all engineers, public health specialists, entrepreneurs, and students—anyone working in a nongovernmental organization, ministry of health, university, or company.
Priority areas for funding
Vaccine product characteristics: How can we improve vaccine products for use in low-resource settings and make it easier for decision-makers to select products that will meet their needs?
Examples: Tools for evaluating different product presentations and formulations; low-cost temperature indicators for vaccine vials; packaging solutions to prevent freezing and/or guarantee sterility.
Supply system design: How can we make vaccine logistics more efficient, cost-effective, and reliable?
Examples: Innovative solutions for vaccine transport; synergistic partnerships with non-vaccine supply systems; global location information software to optimize logistics and transport.
Environmental impact: How can we minimize waste, energy use, and environmental impact in vaccine supply systems?
Examples: Fuel-efficient delivery routes and vehicles; fuel-efficient cooling equipment; equipment that uses alternative fuels; safe treatment of medical waste; other strategies for minimizing environmental impact.
Information systems: How can we take advantage of information technology in vaccine supply systems?
Examples: Logistics management and vaccine tracking software; low-cost, durable hardware and devices to improve data collection and accuracy.
Human resources: How can we better train and mobilize human resources?
Examples: Innovative training methodologies; incentive systems; educational models that empower national staff to improve the performance of their immunization supply system.
Vaccination acceptance: How can we increase understanding about the importance of immunizations?
Examples: Innovative, affordable, and sustainable approaches to increase the understanding, reach, and public acceptance of immunization; creative approaches to address misinformation around immunization in low-income settings.
Proposed solutions should be daring in premise and clearly different from approaches currently under investigation or in use, with a focus on the operational aspects of immunization systems. Ideas also must have the potential to be scaled up or reproduced in multiple low-resource settings.
The future of immunization supply systems
The call for proposals builds on work facilitated by project Optimize—a collaboration between PATH and the World Health Organization—to develop a common vision for the future of immunization supply systems and logistics.
The submission deadline is May 15, 2012. If you have questions, please email GCEhelp@gatesfoundation.org or visit the websites linked below.
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