Dear Colleagues,

It is a great pleasure to announce the launch of Grand Challenges Canada / Grands Défis Canada – an innovative organization that will help redefine Canada’s role in the developing world by bringing together Canadian scientists, developing world scientific researchers, and the private sector to solve some of the most persistent health challenges facing poor countries.

The Government of Canada is committing $225 million over five years to the Development Innovation Fund, announced in the 2008 Budget, to support the best minds in the world in a collaborative search for solutions to global health challenges. Grand Challenges Canada was created to implement the realization of this goal working with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), a Crown Corporation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), a Government of Canada Agency.

Grand Challenges Canada’s mission is to identify global Grand Challenges, fund researchers and organizations to address them, and support the implementation and commercialization of the solutions that emerge.

There will be five Grand Challenges identified and launched over a five year period. The challenges will be determined through an exploration process by Grand Challenges Canada, based on advice from its International Scientific Advisory Board.

Our first Grand Challenge is on Point-of-Care Diagnostics that seeks to create a new class of diagnostics that will be easy to use, low cost, multiplexed and able to assess disease stage and provide information on prognosis.

> Download our Request for Proposals

> Read the coverage on CBC News

We look forward to working with you to realize the goals of Grand Challenges Canada. Thank you for your interest and support.

Sincerely,

Dr. Peter A. Singer
Chief Executive Officer
Grand Challenges Canada / Grands Défis Canada