SINGAPORE: Research grants totalling US$100,000 are available if one has an idea that could help tackle health challenges in developing countries.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates' charity foundation, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, announced that applications for the grants are now open to researchers and scientists.

The grants are part of a five-year US$100 million initiative to encourage research on new global health solutions. The programme, called Grand Challenges Explorations, is into its third round.

The topic areas for proposals that will be considered for this round include creating low-cost diagnostics for priority global health conditions, creating new tools that could speed up the eradication of malaria and coming up with new vaccines for diarrhoea, HIV, malaria, pneumonia and tuberculosis.

Launched in 2008, Grand Challenge Explorations grants have already been awarded to more than 100 researchers from 22 countries. The programme seeks to involve scientists around the world who do not typically work in global health to help uncover new ideas.

"We hope to hear from researchers of every age, on every continent, and from disciplines that don't typically focus on global health or even biomedical research," said Dr Tachi Yamada, president of the Global Health Program at the Gates Foundation.

"History has taught us that innovative ideas can come from anywhere."

More information can be found at www.grandchallenges.org/explorations.

- CNA/ir