Print this page 
Innovative Global Health Research
Posted 16 May 2010
16 May 2010
Media Announcement
Contact Ian Muchamore - +61 3 9549 4049
PHI receives $100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations Grant for Innovative Global Health Research
Prince Henry’s Institute announced today that it has received a US$100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The grant will support an innovative global health research project conducted by Dr Guiying Nie, titled “Women-controlled contraception that also prevents HIV.”
Dr Guiying Nie’s project is one of 78 grants announced by the Gates Foundation in the fourth funding round of Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative to help scientists around the world explore bold and largely unproven ways to improve health in developing countries. The grants were provided to scientists in 18 countries on six continents.
To receive funding, Dr Guiying Nie showed in a two-page application how her idea falls outside current scientific paradigms and might lead to significant advances in global health. The initiative is highly competitive, receiving almost 2,700 proposals in this round.
Guiying will test whether a peptide inhibitor that has been shown to inhibit protein processing critical to HIV transmission can also be used to prevent embryo implantation in the uterus. If successful, the peptide could be used as a non-hormonal contraceptive delivered as a vaginal application, which also protects against HIV. Further information is available online about how the team’s research has identified a novel target for preventing pregnancy and HIV infection.
Dr Guiying said “We are testing a completely new approach to preventing both pregnancy and HIV infection - through using just one drug and a single delivery route. The ultimate goals are to improve the health outcomes of those women who have limited or no access to suitable contraception and who are also at risk of HIV infection from their partners”.
PHI Director Professor Matthew Gillespie commented “I applaud the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for supporting this a highly innovative research approach which has the potential to be developed and translated into health benefits on a global scale.”
“The winners of these grants show the bold thinking we need to tackle some of the world’s greatest health challenges,” said Dr Tachi Yamada, president of the Gates Foundation’s Global Health Program. “I’m excited about their ideas and look forward to seeing some of these exploratory projects turn into life-saving breakthroughs.”
About Grand Challenges Explorations
Grand Challenges Explorations is a five-year, $100 million initiative of the Gates Foundation to promote innovation in global health. The program uses an agile, streamlined grant process – applications are limited to two pages, and preliminary data are not required. Proposals are reviewed and selected by a committee of foundation staff and external experts, and grant decisions are made within approximately three months of the close of the funding round. Applications for the current round of Grand Challenges Explorations are being accepted through May 19, 2010. Grant application instructions, including the list of topics for which proposals are currently being accepted, are available at http://www.grandchallenges.org/explorations.
About Prince Henry's Institute
Prince Henrys Institute (PHI) is an independent not-for-profit medical research institute based at Monash Medical Centre Clayton in Victoria, Australia. The Institute has over 160 staff and students and our vision is to improve quality of life through the investigation of hormones in the fields of reproductive health, cancer, diabetes, obesity, bone health and` cardiovascular disease. Research at PHI includes fundamental laboratory research understanding human biology, translational studies focussed upon developing better diagnostics and new treatments and clinical programs to improve patient care.