In the ninth round of Grand Challenges Explorations, proposals were invited that targeted the following topics: identifying anti-malarial compounds, communicating the positive impact of development aid, protecting crop plants, new approaches to optimize immunizations, and new solutions for global health priority areas.
The new communications topic – "Aid is Working. Tell the World" – is a partnership with Cannes Lions to challenge applicants to uncover new ways to find and distribute stories that will inspire people to support development aid. The new malaria topic – "New Approaches for the Interrogation of Anti-malarial Compounds" – provides successful applicants access to chemical libraries to test their ideas: Medicines for Malaria Venture’s "Malaria Box" and GlaxoSmithKline's Tres Cantos Anti-Malarial Set.