The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced the latest Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE) grant recipients on May 26, 2016, related to round 16 (which opened at September, 2015) . The theme of that round was New Solutions in Global Health Priority Areas. 43 researchers from around the world were awarded.

Grand Challenges Explorations grant program funds discovery research, awarding initial grants of US $100,000 and potential follow-on grants of up to US $1 million. Grants target an expanding set of topics.

43 projects in 14 different countries received an initial grant of US$100,000. In addition, the foundation has provided additional funding to 11 Grand Challenges Explorations projects with additional funding of up to US$1 million each.

One Brazilian project was awarded. Laura Musselwhite of the Hospital de Câncer de Barretos in Brazil will develop a low-cost test for cervical cancer that women can easily perform at home even in low-resource settings. The test is based on a nitrocellulose strip coated in antibodies to detect the cancer-causing E6 protein produced by the human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer. They will enroll 50 women attending their clinic including cervical cancer patients to provide samples for adapting the assay for optimal detection in urine and simplifying it for use in non-clinical settings.

The foundation will begin accepting applications for the next round of GCE starting in September 2016.

Infroamtions from: GCGH