The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is now accepting grant proposals for Round 7 of Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative to encourage innovative and unconventional global health solutions. Applicants can be at any experience level; in any discipline; and from any organization, including colleges and universities, government laboratories, research institutions, non-profit organizations and for profit companies.

 Grant proposals are being accepted online until May 19, 2011 on the following topics: 

* Explore Nutrition for Healthy Growth of Infants and Children

* Apply Synthetic Biology to Global Health Challenges

* The Poliovirus Endgame: Create Innovative Ways to Accelerate, Sustain, and Monitor Eradication

* Create the Next Generation of Sanitation Technologies

* Design New Approaches to Cure HIV Infection

* Create Low-Cost Cell Phone-Based Solutions for Improved Uptake and Coverage of Childhood Vaccinations       

Initial grants will be US $100,000 each, and projects showing promise will have the opportunity to receive additional funding of up to US $1 million.  Full descriptions of the new topics and application instructions are available at: www.grandchallenges.org/gce/

(Posted 21st March 2011)