The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is now accepting grant proposals for Round 2 of Grand Challenges Explorations, a US $100 million initiative to help scientists pursue innovative ideas for solving major global health problems. Anyone can apply, regardless of education or experience level.

Grant proposals are being accepted online at www.gcgh.org/explorations until November 2, 2008, on the following topics:

New! -- Create new vaccines for diarrhea, HIV, malaria, pneumonia, and tuberculosis
New! -- Create new tools to accelerate the eradication of malaria
-- Create new ways to protect against infectious diseases
-- Create drugs or delivery systems that limit the emergence of resistance
-- Create new ways to prevent or cure HIV infection
-- Explore the basis for latency in tuberculosis

Initial grants will be $100,000 each, and projects showing promise may have the opportunity to receive additional funding of $1 million or more.  Full descriptions of the topics and application instructions are available at http://www.gcgh.org/explorations.

We hope you can help us spread the word in the coming weeks and months about this exciting initiative. Thank you for your support and continued commitment to solving the world's greatest health challenges.