we are excited to share the news about a particularly diverse set of grant opportunities across grand challenges initiatives open now from the bill & melinda gates foundation and other grand challenges funders. these opportunities are described in a blog and listed below.

grand challenges explorations grant opportunities

the bill & melinda gates foundation is inviting proposals for the next round of grand challenges explorations (gce) for the following three challenges (application deadline is may 2, 2018):

• innovations in immunization data management, use, and improved process efficiency;
• affordable, accessible, and appealing: the next generation of nutrition;
• tools and technologies for broad-scale disease surveillance of crop plants in low-income countries

gce grants have already been awarded to more than 1300 researchers in more than 65 countries. initial grants are for usd $100,000 and successful projects are eligible to receive follow-on funding of up to usd $1 million. proposals are solicited twice a year for an expanding set of global health and development challenges. applications are only two pages, and no preliminary data is required. applicants can be at any experience level; in any discipline; and from any type of organization, including colleges and universities, government laboratories, research institutions, non-profit organizations and for-profit companies.

grand challenges grant opportunities

• grand challenges: campylobacter spp. transmission dynamics in low- and middle-income countries. application deadline is may 2, 2018.
• grand challenges explorations – brazil: data science approaches to improve maternal and child health in brazil. application deadline is may 2, 2018.
• grand challenges explorations – india (round 4). application deadline is march 31, 2018.
• misk grand challenges: activating global citizenship: building the next generation of global citizens for the global goals.application deadline is may 2, 2018.
• misk grand challenges: reinventing teaching and school leadership: preparing the youth with the 21st century skills needed for a knowledge economy. application deadline is may 2, 2018.
• grand challenges for development: creating hope in conflict: a humanitarian grand challenge. application deadline is april 12, 2018.

scope

the accelerating climate action call will focus on the following three themes, collectively addressing current knowledge gaps in socially-transformative climate research:

• climate and disaster resilience: research projects focusing on socially-equitable development planning that enhances the ability of people — regardless of gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, age, or physical ability — to mitigate and adapt to climate-related hazards;
• energy security: research projects that explore socially equitable access to innovative, clean, and renewable energy services and to energy-based technologies; and
• migration: research projects that produce knowledge to contribute to using migration as a proactive adaptation strategy that contributes to equitable access to economic, health, educational, and employment services.

proposed research projects should be based on an analysis of the interrelated factors affecting communities and their vulnerability to climate change impacts. projects should aim to achieve long-term socially-transformative outcomes; similarly, they should also be participatory in structure to effectively address the various needs and priorities of underrepresented people. research outcomes should inspire innovation in climate policies, institutions, technologies, and strategies that can be applied to promote the resilience of communities.

goal: the ataxia of charlevoix-saguenay foundation offers annual research fellowships that will lead to a treatment for autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of charlevoix-saguenay (arsacs).

guidelines

the health technologies fund (htf) supports the development of made-in-ontario health technologies by accelerating evaluation, procurement, adoption and diffusion in the ontario health system. htf is a program of the government of ontario’s office of the chief health innovation strategist (ochis), administered by ontario centres of excellence.  ochis’ mandate is to strengthen ontario’s health innovation ecosystem. 

htf fosters partnerships between publicly funded health service providers (hsps), patients, academia and industry to drive collaboration that improves patient outcomes, optimizes the impact of investment in health innovation and scales health innovation companies.

through the fund, the office of the chief health innovation strategist sets health priorities to focus innovation to address specific health outcomes. the health priority area for htf is better care closer to home

projects must be led by a publicly funded health service provider (hsp) and include a problem statement that supports one of these health system priorities.

more details on htf.

brain canada foundation and the azrieli foundation are excited to announce a new open call for funding, the early-career capacity building grants. briefly, this program is targeting early-career researchers within 3 years of their first research or university appointment at a canadian institution (as of the application deadline) and would provide up to $100k total over 2 years. the deadline for full applications will be april 17, 2018 (16:00-est).  please refer to the request for applications for additional details (https://braincanada.ca/for-researchers/).

guidelines

the ontario ministry of transportation has announced the 2018 competition for the highway infrastructure innovation funding program (hiifp).  the purpose of the initiative is to encourage basic and applied research in transportation infrastructure in ontario.

this program solicits innovations from institutions to assist the ontario government in meeting selected challenges in developing the future of ontario’s transportation infrastructure.  the highway infrastructure innovation funding program highly encourages the involvement of undergraduate and graduate research in transportation and infrastructure engineering.

the competition provides a total of $1,500,000 for direct and indirect costs in this competition.  the ultimate goal of the program is to challenge ontario’s academic community to contribute to transportation infrastructure solutions in a number of areas including traffic operations, intelligent transportation systems, engineering materials, highway design, environmental, geomatics, bridges, construction and maintenance.

the genomic applications partnership program (gapp) funds downstream research and development (r&d) projects that address real world opportunities and challenges identified by industry, government, not-for-profits and other “receptors” of genomics knowledge and technologies.

gapp projects are collaborations between academic researchers and receptor organizations. they are co-funded by receptors and other stakeholders, and have the potential to generate significant social and/or economic benefits for canada.

the ministry of natural resources and forestry is now accepting applications for the 2018-2019 species at risk research fund for ontario (sarrfo). applications must be received via email by 11:59am (noon) thursday, march 29, 2018 

the sarrfo is a targeted component of the larger species at risk stewardship fund (sarsf) program. sarrfo supports the protection and recovery of species at risk by funding high quality scientific research that addresses key threats and knowledge gaps, and informs the protection, recovery and management of species at risk in ontario.

funding priorities have been identified for the 2018-19 funding year and are outlined within the guidelines. it is estimated that 2018-19 funding levels will allow the ministry to support approximately 10-15 of the highest priority research projects.

all applicants are to carefully read the attached sarrfo guidelines before completing and submitting an application. all application requirements are outlined in the guidelines.

for more information, please contact kim jaxa-debicki at 705-755-5506 or sar.stewardship@ontario.ca