DFID Research: Request for Applications: Round Three of the Saving Lives at Birth Grand Challenge
The third round of Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development has been launched. The Challenge seeks to identify and develop transformative approaches that integrate new science and technology into childbirth and early post natal care.
Picture: Lindsay Mgbor/Department for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Government of Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) have joined together to launch the third round of Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development.
Global problem solvers are invited to answer the third Request for Applications (RFA) to help create innovative prevention and treatment approaches that reduce maternal and newborn deaths, including stillbirths, in poor, hard-to-reach communities.
An estimated 2.6 million stillbirths, 3.1 million neonatal deaths and 360,000 maternal deaths occur globally each year, signalling a major gap for intervention specifically around childbirth and the early postnatal period. This is a time when mothers and babies are most vulnerable and global progress in reducing mortality has been slow.
The first Saving Lives at Birth challenge was launched on March 9, 2011, issuing the first global call for transformative ideas to address this major issue. Since then the project has supported 38 exciting and potentially transformational solutions to women’s and newborns’ health. The Challenge recognises that significant breakthroughs in innovation often come about when new ideas and disciplines are applied to long-entrenched problems. New technologies and approaches can transform insurmountable development challenges into solvable problems.
The Challenge seeks to identify and develop transformative approaches that integrate new science and technology. This includes developing better approaches to demand-side service delivery and empowering pregnant women to access healthcare services during pregnancy, childbirth, and into the postnatal period.
The third round RFA is welcoming diverse expertise and non-traditional partnerships. These can include the private sector, for-profit companies, non-governmental organisations, academic/medical research institutions, faith-based organizations, civic groups and foundations across a range of disciplines. To foster sustainability, the Challenge is seeking ideas that draw on private sector expertise and integrate scientific / technological, social and business innovation.
The partners anticipate awarding 25 seed funds to demonstrate proof-of-concept and 5 transition-to-scale grants for successful innovation. The actual number of awards in each category may vary.
This RFA and any future amendments can be downloaded from http://www.grants.gov. Prospective Applicants that are unable to retrieve the RFA from the Internet can request an electronic copy by email at GrandChallenge2013@usaid.gov .
DUE DATE: Applications shall be received no sooner than March 18, 2013 and no later than Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 2:00 pm EST via www.savinglivesatbirth.net/apply