The Gates Foundation is part of the Grand Challenges partnership network. Visit <a href="https://www.grandchallenges.org" target="_blank">www.grandchallenges.org</a> to view the map of awarded grants across this network and grant opportunities from partners.

Grand Challenges supports exceptional scientists with the expertise to do breakthrough R&amp;D as well as the experience, networks, and skills to excel as scientific leaders. These champions co-create projects with global partners, mobilize key institutions in their countries, and improve public health in their communities and around the world.

Grand Challenges funds innovations to tackle the biggest problems in global health and development. Since 2004, through the Grand Challenges program, we have supported more than 2500 innovation projects in more than 90 countries.

For more than 20 years, Grand Challenges has built trusted relationships with global health funders and researchers. We tap into this powerful network to create unique scientific collaborations with a transformative impact on people's lives.

Innovation happens all along the journey from idea, to experiment, to product or policy, and finally to delivery at scale in communities. We fund innovation projects while supporting an environment of champions, systems, and partnerships to maximize the impact these projects make in people's lives.

The 4 Pillars of the Grand Challenges Ecosystem

Doing groundbreaking science requires the right mix of institutions, policies, and tools. Grand Challenges works with partners in low- and middle-income countries to build or strengthen the capacities they need to succeed in R&amp;D.

We challenge innovators around the world to work on urgent priorities in global health and development. We issue new challenges regularly and award the most promising proposals with grant funding.&nbsp;

Past Challenges

<h2>Background</h2>Next generation sequencing (NGS) has proven to be indispensable in the current SARS-CoV2 pandemic, from pathogen discovery to variant characterization to novel vaccine development in record-time. This approach to using NGS underscores the potential value of this technology and its application to many other diseases from Ebola to cholera to Pathogen X. Building upon the success of previous Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) and Chan Zuckerberg Biohub (CZ Biohub) <a href="https://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/challenge/application-metagenomic-next-generation-sequencing-detect-and-identify-pathogens-round-22" target="_blank">Grand Challenges collaborations</a>, this year's opportunity will continue to offer exceptional opportunities for capacity building, on-going mentorship and the foundations of scientific, collaborative networks to detect, identify, and characterize pathogens. The ultimate goal will be to impact infectious disease decision making and public health by empowering local scientists with gold standard knowledge, experience and access to equipment and software.Through this Grand Challenge, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative will jointly offer funding for 10 scientific groups to explore the identification, characterization, and context of infectious disease in LMIC settings.<h2>The Opportunity</h2>One of the overwhelming lessons learned from the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, has been the importance of being able to identify existing and emerging infectious diseases efficiently, in order to more effectively address and contain outbreaks, both locally and regionally. It has never been so important for clinicians and the global health community to have access to both accurate and timely estimates of disease burden and distribution. Traditionally, summaries of these data have been manually reported by national health ministries from regional clinical data, aggregated from local health centers. Local institutions, however, face multiple challenges to accurately assess the emerging needs of their community with current toolsets. For example, most clinical tests are based on common or easily detectable pathogens previously identified, which can miss occult and/or emerging pathogens. In addition, curation of large-scale pathogen data across multiple locations/platforms is time consuming and expensive, preventing facile integration of individual patient-level diagnostic data into a larger pathogen landscape on the regional and national level.Over the last 18 months, we have seen how, when local institutions have the capacity – both at the hardware and software level - to detect emerging infections using pathogen sequencing technology, they are able to perform near-real-time data analysis that is rapidly translated into actionable public health decision making. At the heart of the ability to pivot to pathogen-specific sequencing during the pandemic, was the successful establishment of metagenomic sequencing platforms in low- and middle-resource settings, where there have traditionally been limitations in access or availability of the following essential components: a) equipment/reagents, b) specialized biochemical training, c) accurate reference pathogen sequence databases, and d) advanced computational analytics.<h2>The Challenge</h2>Recognizing barriers for adoption of next-generation sequencing in global health, the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation has partnered with the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to enable populations in low- and middle-resource settings to benefit from cutting-edge pathogen detection, discovery and characterization. This partnership will provide highly specialized training in biosample preparation and sequencing to technical staff from awardee global health centers. Trainees will learn to use the open-source, open-access <a href="https://czid.org/" target="_blank">IDseq</a> software developed by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) for the global health community to upload and analyze sequencing data, among other software such as Nextstrain. The BMGF-CZ Biohub-CZI partnership will therefore aim to provide selected applicants the benefits of onsite next generation sequencing and rapid pathogen detection to better understand their local pathogen landscape. We are also specifically seeking projects that endeavor to build upon their initial locally-focused effort to contribute to future data-informed decision-making at the population level via data sharing and pathogen data comparison across sites (multi-site studies will be prioritized).This Grand Challenges (GC) award will support travel and accommodation of grantees to San Francisco for training at the CZ Biohub, and the following items: 1) <a href="https://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/sites/default/files/files/metagenomic_next_generation_sequencing_compatible_sequencers.pdf" target="_blank">a sequencer suitable for the global health environment,</a><a href="#_ftn1" title="" id="_ftnref1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a> 2) a dedicated sequencing technician, and 3) sequencing reagents for the duration of the award. CZ Biohub and CZI training will include pilot analysis of samples from their home region during hands-on, intensive mentoring. This 2-week instructional period will include both biochemical sample preparation for sequencing and bioinformatic analysis using the IDseq software platform. Specifically, the hands-on training for bench scientists will include best practices and standards for sample processing, DNA &amp; RNA extraction, library preparation and data analysis on the global IDseq software platform. The combination of intensive training with molecular, capital equipment, reagent, and personnel support is intended to maximize the potential for sustainable, prospective, onsite analysis of patient samples upon return to the home site.Molecular data generated at individual global sites is intended to be linked and automatically aggregated into IDseq for referencing by all participating clinics and associated sites. This method of local sequence analysis coupled with cross-site comparison could serve as a model for a process that would eventually lead to a network of pathogen detection nodes that could provide increased global transparency into regional pathogen distribution in an accurate and timely manner, and in ultimate support of a global pathogen surveillance network.Examples of insights could include:<ol><li>Investigating infectious etiologies for unknown medical cases</li><li>Identification of new pathogens</li><li>Detection of local outbreaks</li><li>Characterization of the local pathogen landscape, including vector-borne diseases</li><li>Assessment of emerging zoonotic disease, including wildlife and domestic animal reservoir sampling</li><li>Detection and classification of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Markers, with potential for insight into antibiotic treatment discordance</li><li>Data-informed healthcare and resource allocation</li><li>Subsequent follow-up leveraging genomic epidemiology for public health, incorporating local epidemiological data and genomic analysis</li></ol>We are specifically looking for sites that believe in collaborative approaches and data sharing. Grantees will be expected to partner closely with scientists and engineers and provide feedback to help guide the cloud computing software’s development. Sites will also be expected to share data and collaborate with other labs in the network.Funding level: up to USD $200,000 for each project, with a grant term of up to 24 months depending on the scope of the project.We will consider sites that:<ul><li>Provide a clearly scoped initial project that demonstrates why this technology will provide insights that are not currently possible.</li><li>Have space and capacity to run samples on a basic sequencer once provided with training, reagents, sequencer, and a dedicated computer. Have consistent access to electricity and the ability to upload data via the internet to a designated cloud server at least once a day.</li><li>Are willing to give product feedback and collaborate with an engineering team through scheduled video calls, email, or other messaging service. Are committed to open science, preprints, and data sharing.</li><li>Already have, or can rapidly acquire, necessary IRB approval for pathogen DNA and RNA sequence sharing from patients.</li><li>Are representative of larger geographic regions</li></ul>We will not consider sites that:<ul><li>Do not articulate how they will leverage the value of next generation sequencing to impact health outcomes.</li><li>Are interested exclusively in Whole Genome Sequencing of human samples</li><li>Do not plan to share their pathogen data and discoveries.</li><li>Have extremely limited internet access.</li><li>Are limited to previously stored samples, without substantial potential for prospective sample collection.</li></ul>_____________________________________________<a href="#_ftnref1" title="" id="_ftn1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> To ensure the sequencer continues to be used for purposes consistent with the foundation’s charitable objectives, we may request that funded applicants other than charities, universities, and similar organizations donate any sequencer purchased with grant funds to a charity or university, after the term of the project.

Grand Challenges

Metagenomic Next Generation Sequencing to Detect, Identify, and Characterize Pathogens

<h2>Background</h2>
Next generation sequencing (NGS) has proven to be indispensable in the current SARS-CoV2 pandemic, from pathogen discovery to variant characterization to novel vaccine development in record-time. This approach to using NGS underscores the potential value of this technology and its application to many other diseases from Ebola to cholera to Pathogen X. Building upon the success of previous Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) and Chan Zuckerberg Biohub (CZ Biohub) <a href="https://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/challenge/application-metagenomic-next-generation-sequencing-detect-and-identify-pathogens-round-22" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grand Challenges collaborations</a>, this year's opportunity will continue to offer exceptional opportunities for capacity building, on-going mentorship and the foundations of scientific, collaborative networks to detect, identify, and characterize pathogens. The ultimate goal will be to impact infectious disease decision making and public health by empowering local scientists with gold standard knowledge, experience and access to equipment and software.
Through this Grand Challenge, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative will jointly offer funding for 10 scientific groups to explore the identification, characterization, and context of infectious disease in LMIC settings.
<h2>The Opportunity</h2>
One of the overwhelming lessons learned from the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, has been the importance of being able to identify existing and emerging infectious diseases efficiently, in order to more effectively address and contain outbreaks, both locally and regionally. It has never been so important for clinicians and the global health community to have access to both accurate and timely estimates of disease burden and distribution. Traditionally, summaries of these data have been manually reported by national health ministries from regional clinical data, aggregated from local health centers. Local institutions, however, face multiple challenges to accurately assess the emerging needs of their community with current toolsets. For example, most clinical tests are based on common or easily detectable pathogens previously identified, which can miss occult and/or emerging pathogens. In addition, curation of large-scale pathogen data across multiple locations/platforms is time consuming and expensive, preventing facile integration of individual patient-level diagnostic data into a larger pathogen landscape on the regional and national level.
Over the last 18 months, we have seen how, when local institutions have the capacity – both at the hardware and software level - to detect emerging infections using pathogen sequencing technology, they are able to perform near-real-time data analysis that is rapidly translated into actionable public health decision making. At the heart of the ability to pivot to pathogen-specific sequencing during the pandemic, was the successful establishment of metagenomic sequencing platforms in low- and middle-resource settings, where there have traditionally been limitations in access or availability of the following essential components: a) equipment/reagents, b) specialized biochemical training, c) accurate reference pathogen sequence databases, and d) advanced computational analytics.
<h2>The Challenge</h2>
Recognizing barriers for adoption of next-generation sequencing in global health, the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation has partnered with the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to enable populations in low- and middle-resource settings to benefit from cutting-edge pathogen detection, discovery and characterization. This partnership will provide highly specialized training in biosample preparation and sequencing to technical staff from awardee global health centers. Trainees will learn to use the open-source, open-access <a href="http://www.idseq.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IDseq</a> software developed by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) for the global health community to upload and analyze sequencing data, among other software such as Nextstrain. The BMGF-CZ Biohub-CZI partnership will therefore aim to provide selected applicants the benefits of onsite next generation sequencing and rapid pathogen detection to better understand their local pathogen landscape. We are also specifically seeking projects that endeavor to build upon their initial locally-focused effort to contribute to future data-informed decision-making at the population level via data sharing and pathogen data comparison across sites (multi-site studies will be prioritized).
This Grand Challenges (GC) award will support travel and accommodation of grantees to San Francisco for training at the CZ Biohub, and the following items: 1) <a href="https://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/sites/default/files/files/metagenomic_next_generation_sequencing_compatible_sequencers.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a sequencer suitable for the global health environment</a><a href="#_bookmark1">[1]</a><a id="_bookmark0" name="_bookmark0"></a>, 2) a dedicated sequencing technician, and 3) sequencing reagents for the duration of the award. CZ Biohub and CZI training will include pilot analysis of samples from their home region during hands-on, intensive mentoring. This 2-week instructional period will include both biochemical sample preparation for sequencing and bioinformatic analysis using the IDseq software platform. Specifically, the hands-on training for bench scientists will include best practices and standards for sample processing, DNA &amp; RNA extraction, library preparation and data analysis on the global IDseq software platform. The combination of intensive training with molecular, capital equipment, reagent, and personnel support is intended to maximize the potential for sustainable, prospective, onsite analysis of patient samples upon return to the home site.
Molecular data generated at individual global sites is intended to be linked and automatically aggregated into IDseq for referencing by all participating clinics and associated sites. This method of local sequence analysis coupled with cross-site comparison could serve as a model for a process that would eventually lead to a network of pathogen detection nodes that could provide increased global transparency into regional pathogen distribution in an accurate and timely manner, and in ultimate support of a global pathogen surveillance network.
Examples of insights could include:
<ol>
<li>Investigating infectious etiologies for unknown medical cases</li>
<li>Identification of new pathogens</li>
<li>Detection of local outbreaks</li>
<li>Characterization of the local pathogen landscape, including vector-borne diseases</li>
<li>Assessment of emerging zoonotic disease, including wildlife and domestic animal reservoir sampling</li>
<li>Detection and classification of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Markers, with potential for insight into antibiotic treatment discordance</li>
<li>Data-informed healthcare and resource allocation</li>
<li>Subsequent follow-up leveraging genomic epidemiology for public health, incorporating local epidemiological data and genomic analysis</li>
</ol>
We are specifically looking for sites that believe in collaborative approaches and data sharing. Grantees will be expected to partner closely with scientists and engineers and provide feedback to help guide the cloud computing software’s development. Sites will also be expected to share data and collaborate with other labs in the network.
Funding level: up to USD $200,000 for each project, with a grant term of up to 24 months depending on the scope of the project.
We will consider sites that:
<ul>
<li>Provide a clearly scoped initial project that demonstrates why this technology will provide insights that are not currently possible.</li>
<li>Have space and capacity to run samples on a basic sequencer once provided with training, reagents, sequencer, and a dedicated computer. Have consistent access to electricity and the ability to upload data via the internet to a designated cloud server at least once a day.</li>
<li>Are willing to give product feedback and collaborate with an engineering team through scheduled video calls, email, or other messaging service. Are committed to open science, preprints, and data sharing.</li>
<li>Already have, or can rapidly acquire, necessary IRB approval for pathogen DNA and RNA sequence sharing from patients.</li>
<li>Are representative of larger geographic regions</li>
</ul>
We will not consider sites that:
<ul>
<li>Do not articulate how they will leverage the value of next generation sequencing to impact health outcomes.</li>
<li>Are interested exclusively in Whole Genome Sequencing of human samples</li>
<li>Do not plan to share their pathogen data and discoveries.</li>
<li>Have extremely limited internet access.</li>
<li>Are limited to previously stored samples, without substantial potential for prospective sample collection.</li>
</ul>
_____________________________________________
<a id="_bookmark1" name="_bookmark1"></a><a href="#_bookmark0">[1]</a> To ensure the sequencer continues to be used for purposes consistent with the foundation’s charitable objectives, we may request that funded applicants other than charities, universities, and similar organizations donate any sequencer purchased with grant funds to a charity or university, after the term of the project.

Recognizing barriers for adoption of next-generation sequencing in global health, the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation has partnered with the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to enable populations in low- and middle-resource settings to benefit from cutting-edge pathogen detection, discovery and characterization. This partnership will provide highly specialized training in biosample preparation and sequencing to technical staff from awardee global health centers.

Metagenomic Next Generation Sequencing to Detect Identify and Characterize Pathogens

**NOTE: Although this challenge topic’s open date (October 15th) and close date (December 5th) differ from the other Round 22 GCE Grant Opportunities, grantees will still be a part of this round’s cohort.<h2>The Opportunity</h2>In order to identify and treat existing and emergent infectious disease efficiently, clinicians and the global health community must have access to accurate and timely estimates of disease burden and distribution. Traditionally, summaries of these data have been manually reported by national health ministries from regional clinical data, aggregated from local health centers. Local institutions, however, face multiple challenges to accurately assess the emerging needs of their community with current toolsets. For example, most clinical tests are based on common or easily detectable pathogens previously identified, which can miss occult and/or emerging pathogens. In addition, curation of large-scale pathogen data across multiple locations/platforms is time consuming and expensive, preventing facile integration of individual patient-level diagnostic data into a larger pathogen landscape on the regional and national level.Recent breakthroughs in pathogen sequencing technology - both at the hardware and software level - enable the combination of rapid deep sequencing of patient samples with subsequent sequence mapping to a custom, continuously updated reference database to provide near-real-time pathogen detection. Yet, these advancements alone have not been sufficient to provide metagenomic sequencing to patients in low- and middle-resource settings that could benefit the most, largely due to limitations in access or availability of the following essential components: a) expensive equipment/reagents, b) specialized biochemical training, c) accurate reference pathogen sequence databases, d) and advanced computational analytics.<h2>The Challenge</h2>Recognizing barriers for adoption of next-generation sequencing in global health, the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation has partnered with the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to enable patients in low- and middle-resource settings to benefit from cutting-edge pathogen detection and discovery. This partnership will provide highly specialized training in biosample preparation and sequencing to technical staff from awardee global health centers. Trainees will learn to use the open-source, open-access <a href="http://www.idseq.net/" target="_blank">IDseq</a> software developed by CZ-Biohub for the global health community to upload and analyze patient sequencing data. The BMGF-CZ-Biohub partnership will therefore aim to provide selected applicants the benefits of onsite next generation sequencing and rapid pathogen detection to better understand their local pathogen landscape. We are specifically seeking projects that endeavor to build upon their initial locally-focused effort to contribute to future data-informed decision-making at the population level via data sharing and pathogen data comparison across sites.Through this GCE award, BMGF will support travel and accommodation of grantees for pilot analysis of samples from their home region during hands-on, intensive mentoring provided by the CZ-Biohub in San Francisco. This 2-week instructional period will include both biochemical sample preparation for sequencing and bioinformatic analysis using the IDseq software platform. Specifically, the hands-on training for bench scientists will include best practices and standards for sample processing, DNA &amp; RNA extraction, library preparation and data analysis on the Global IDseq software platform. Upon completion of training at CZ-Biohub, laboratory teams are expected to use the remaining GCE award primarily on the following items: 1) a sequencer<a href="#_ftn1" title="" id="_ftnref1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a>,<a href="#_ftn2" title="" id="_ftnref2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a> suitable for the global health environment, 2) a dedicated sequencing technician, and 3) sequencing reagents for the duration of the award. The combination of intensive training with molecular, capital equipment, reagent, and personnel support is intended to maximize the potential for sustainable, prospective, onsite analysis of patient samples upon return to the home site. A list of compatible sequencers appropriate for global health use is listed <a href="https://d1rjb0mbpus5s2.cloudfront.net/GCE+Compatible+Sequencers.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.Molecular data generated at individual global sites is intended to be linked and automatically aggregated into IDseq for referencing by all participating clinics and associated sites. This method of local sequence analysis coupled with cross-site comparison could serve as a model for a process that would eventually lead to a network of pathogen detection nodes that could provide increased global transparency into regional pathogen distribution in an accurate and timely manner.Examples of insights could include:<ol><li>Deciphering unknown medical cases</li><li>Identification of new pathogens</li><li>Detection of local outbreaks</li><li>Characterization of the local pathogen landscape, including vector-borne diseases</li><li>Detection and classification of AMR Markers, with potential for insight into antibiotic treatment discordance</li><li>Data-informed healthcare and resource allocation</li></ol>We are specifically looking for sites that believe in collaborative approaches and data sharing. Grantees will be expected to partner closely with scientists and engineers and provide feedback to help guide the cloud computing software’s development. Sites will also be expected to share data and collaborate with other labs in the network.We will consider sites that:<ul><li>Provide a clearly scoped initial project that demonstrates why this technology will provide insights that are not currently possible.</li><li>Have space and capacity to run samples on a basic, globally rugged sequencer once provided with training, reagents, sequencer, and a dedicated computer.</li><li>Have consistent access to electricity and the ability to upload data via internet to a designated cloud server at least once a day.</li><li>Are willing to give product feedback and collaborate with an engineering team through scheduled video calls, email, or other messaging service.</li><li>Are committed to open science, preprints, and data sharing.</li><li>Already have, or can rapidly acquire, necessary IRB approval for pathogen DNA and RNA sequence sharing from patients.</li><li>Include neonatal and infant patients as a substantial fraction of overall sampling</li><li>Are representative of larger geographic regions</li></ul>We will not consider sites that:<ul><li>Do not articulate how they will leverage the value of next generation sequencing to impact health outcomes.</li><li>Are interested exclusively in Whole Genome Sequencing</li><li>Do not plan to share their pathogen data and discoveries.</li><li>Have extremely limited internet access.</li><li>Are limited to previously stored samples, without substantial potential for prospective sample collection.</li></ul>_____________________________________________<a href="#_ftnref1" title="" id="_ftn1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> Recognizing that shipping costs and tariffs for the sequencer could significantly impair the intended impact of projects, grantees will be allowed to submit invoices for these costs to the foundation for reimbursement.<a href="#_ftnref2" title="" id="_ftn2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> To ensure the sequencer continues to be used for purposes consistent with the foundation’s charitable objectives, we may request that funded applicants other than charities, universities, and similar organizations donate any sequencer purchased with grant funds to a charity or university, after the 18-month term of the project.