Lima, October 27 ( RHC-Andina) -- The Canadian government-funded 'Grand Challenges Canada' and Concytec announced $2.2 million CAD in grants for 22 Bold Ideas from innovators based in Peru, seeking to find solutions for major health problems.
These novel projects are the result of a collaborative agreement between Concytec (Peru's National Council for Science, Technology and Technological Innovation) and Grand Challenges Canada (funded by the Government of Canada) to support Stars in Global Health innovators based in Peru.
All funding announced is for proof-of-concept projects, whereby Canada and Peru are co-funding Peruvian innovators with a seed grant of $100,000 CAD each.
Highly promising innovations that can show measurable results and the potential for sustainable impact at scale may later be eligible for transition-to-scale funding of up to $1 million CAD.
Among the new projects announced are a probiotic beverage that can potentially clear heavy metals from the body, a new screening model for cervical cancer, using community women as promoters, and a low-cost water pasteurization indicator for the Peruvian Amazon to reduce children's diarrhea.
"We are very pleased with the success of the first Grand Challenges contest in which Peru presented 100 innovative proposals, establishing us as the country with the second highest number of applications after host country Canada, which presented 117", highlighted Dr. Gisella Orjeda, President of Concytec.
“Bold Ideas" is one of the financing schemes of Cienciactiva, an initiative developed by Concytec that seeks to promote the national system of science, technology and innovation.
