2025 Grand Challenges Annual Meeting Call-to-Action - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Eligibility

Who is eligible for grants?

• Participants who registered for the 2025 Grand Challenges Annual Meeting are eligible to apply as a Primary Applicant on behalf of an organization with which they are affiliated and will receive further information via email.
• Applications are permitted from both non-US and US organizations, including non-profit organizations, for-profit companies, international organizations, government agencies, and academic institutions.
• Individuals and organizations classified as individuals for U.S. tax purposes are not eligible to receive an award from the foundation as part of this initiative.
• Employees, officers, and directors of the Gates Foundation are not eligible Primary Applicants or collaborators for either type of proposal.
• We encourage proposals led by scientists based in low- and middle-income countries and women or women-led institutions.

Application Process

What must my application include? 
Please refer to the Application Instructions document.

Can I submit multiple applications? 
Each proposal must designate one eligible participant as the Primary Applicant (PA). An eligible participant may serve as a PA only once, and must choose to apply either as the PA for:

• a Collaborative Pilot (involving the PA and one or more collaborators from different institutions), or
• a Pilot application (involving only the PA as the sole meeting participant).

While a participant may submit only one application as a PA, there is no limit to the number of Collaborative Pilot proposals on which they may be listed as a collaborator.

Am I able to edit my proposal once submitted? 
Yes, you may edit your proposal up until the specified deadline.

What amount of indirect cost is available? 
Details of the foundation indirect cost policy guidelines can be found here: Gates Foundation's indirect cost policy.

Review Process

How does the review process work? 
Please refer to the Rules and Guidelines document.

Can I get a list of potential reviewers who might be assigned to my application? 
No. We do not make public the roster of reviewers.

Can I request that my application not be reviewed by a specific individual? 
No. However, we will ask reviewers to self-identify conflicts of interest and will not assign reviewers with conflicts.

Will I receive specific feedback on my application if it is not selected? 
Due to the rapid proposal and review timelines applicable to this RFP, applicants with proposals that are not selected for award may receive a notification of decline without specific feedback.

Award Information

Are grant awards made directly to individuals? 
No. All awards are made to the organization where the individual holds their primary appointment. Institutions must agree to the terms and conditions governing each grant award prior to award activation.

How much money will each grant provide? 
We will consider proposals for awards of up to $100,000 USD for pilot projects, or $200,000 for collaborative pilot projects, with a grant term of 18-24 months. Application budgets should be commensurate with the scope of work proposed. Indirect costs will be considered and should be included in the budget for the up to award amounts (subject to the Gates Foundation's indirect cost policy).

Technical Support

I forgot my password. How do I reset my password? 
You can request to update your password within the application site. If you continue to have issues, please reach out to [email protected].

How will I know if my application is submitted? 
Once an application is submitted, an email confirmation will be sent.

I'm having trouble uploading my application file. What should I do? 
If you are having issues submitting your application, we would encourage you to submit from a different browser. If the issue persists, please email the specifics of your problem to [email protected].

How often do you intend to update the Frequently Asked Questions, and do you plan to provide answers to all questions submitted? 
We will periodically post answers to questions as they are submitted, but do not have a specific schedule. We will provide answers on this page that are of relevance and of general interest to potential applicants. For answers to specific questions that are not covered here, please email [email protected]