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Grand Challenges Explorations Grant is a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that funds early-stage, innovative research tackling global health and development challenges facing the world's poorest populations. The program is designed to support unconventional and high-risk ideas that could lead to transformative breakthroughs in areas such as infectious diseases, nutrition, and global health equity.
Applications are accepted in English from researchers and organizations worldwide. First-phase awards are $100,000, with top-performing projects eligible for follow-on funding of $1 million or more. Proposals must address specific challenge topics listed in each open funding round.
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Application Guidelines | Global Grand Challenges To get started, download and read the Rules and Guidelines document (PDF) . It contains detailed information on all aspects of Grand Challenges Explorations. You may need to download Adobe Reader to view PDF documents.
Changes to the Rules and Guidelines will be posted on the Frequently Asked Questions page of this website. Please read the current FAQs before submitting any questions or concerns. Each Grand Challenges Explorations application round consists of requests for proposals targeting multiple specific challenges.
Read the list of GCE challenges on the Grant Opportunities page and then follow the links to read the detailed descriptions of each challenge. All proposals must be written in English. Read the Tips for Applicants for additional guidance as you write the proposal.
Our Tips for Applicants document is also available Portuguese , Spanish , French , Korean , Chinese . Proposals must be submitted online by clicking the "Apply For This Opportunity" button on the webpage for each open challenge, which can be accessed through the grant opportunity list. This application portal will enable you to register for an open challenge as well as create, edit, and submit your proposal.
After you have created an account and registered for a challenge, you can start the online application process. Explore the Grand Challenges Pillars
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Researchers and organizations proposing innovative solutions to global health and development challenges. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates $100,000 (first phase), with potential for additional $1 million or more Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is rolling deadlines or periodic funding windows. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
Yes — AI tools like Granted can help research funders, draft proposal sections, and check compliance. However, always review and customize AI-generated content to reflect your organization's unique strengths and the specific requirements of the solicitation.
Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.
The Evidence for AI in Health (EVAH) initiative is a $60 million joint investment by the Gates Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, and Wellcome Trust to support rigorous, country-led evaluations of AI health tools in low- and middle-income countries. Delivered in partnership with J-PAL and the African Population and Health Research Center, EVAH funds evaluations of AI-enabled clinical decision support tools in primary and community healthcare settings across Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Pathway A supports early-deployment evaluations focusing on usability, workflow integration, and safety for up to $1 million. Pathway B funds randomized controlled trials, economic analyses, and implementation science studies of tools ready for deployment at scale for up to $3 million. The initiative addresses a critical evidence gap about whether AI diagnostic and clinical decision support tools actually improve health outcomes in resource-limited settings.
The Gates Foundation AI Fellowship 2026 is a fully funded 12-month program for AI researchers and engineers to work on global health and development challenges using artificial intelligence. Five focus areas: AI in Global Health (maternal and fetal health prediction, disease diagnosis), AI for Agriculture (climate risk prediction, farmer guidance tools), AI for Immunization (service gap identification, vaccine planning), AI in Drug Discovery (molecular design, genomic data integration), and Rapid AI Prototyping (chatbots and scalable health and agriculture solutions). Fellows work on real-world AI applications with direct impact on underserved populations. Based in India.
Novel Interventions Targeting Placental and Gut Inflammation to Improve Fetal Growth is sponsored by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This Grand Challenges grant is for novel interventions targeting placental and gut inflammation with the goal of improving fetal growth. It is part of the Gates Foundation's initiatives to address global health and development challenges.