The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a proposal to advance a locally-led innovation that supports work by scientists and researchers in developing economies.
The Deputy Director of Global Partnerships & Grand Challenges at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Kedest Tesfagiorgis made this announcement at the Grand Challenges Annual Meeting.
He said, “This year’s meeting focuses on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the need for high-impact R&D platforms, partnerships, and policies that effectively bridge the gap between innovation and equitable access.
The meeting brings together researchers from around the world to share work, learn about cutting-edge advances in the healthcare field, and collaborate with other investigators.
“Health equity shouldn’t just be a statement of why we do this work. It should guide how we do it. When we support locally-led innovation, we maximize impact by bringing different kinds of knowledge and perspectives to the fore.
In partnership with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) the foundation will also provide grants to researchers investigating and detecting emerging pathogens in LMICs.
Researchers will receive up to $200,000 each for up to two years, as well as operational support and technical training from the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub (CZ Biohub). This funding commitment builds on a 2018 partnership between the foundation, CZI, and the CZ Biohub that is focused on building metagenomics capacity in LMICs through a Global Grand Challenges initiative.
The 2022 Grand Challenges Annual Meeting in Brussels is hosted by Global Grand Challenges and the European Commission and co-sponsored by Grand Challenges Canada, USAID, Wellcome, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The two-day event features dozens of leaders from across the global health innovation landscape, as well as Gates Foundation leadership, including Bill Gates (co-chair and trustee); Anita Zaidi; and Trevor Mundel (president, Global Health Division).
