Funds to the tune of $2.5 million are available for projects that focus on innovation that will drastically alter the public health landscape under the ‘All Children Thriving’ project launched by Grand Challenges India. The latter is a collaborative effort by the Department of Biotechnology of the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, the Union Government’s Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
A workshop organised at the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) here on Thursday built awareness about the Grand Challenges grant opportunities, and also facilitated dialogue among researchers, innovators and funders. The workshop was titled Multi-Sectoral Interventions in the Context of Maternal and Child Health: All Children Thriving .
“We are excited to build on our partnership with the Department of Biotechnology and continue to harness the power of Indian innovation in service of the country’s most vulnerable communities. The Grand Challenge will help ensure that all India’s children have the opportunity to survive, thrive and fulfil their potential,” said Lalit Kant, senior scientific advisor at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
“The Grand Challenges India Initiative seeks to develop multi-sectoral integrated intervention packages to reduce the burden of foetal growth impairment and preterm birth in India and other developing countries,” said Sunita Singh, Programme Director, BIRAC.
