Innovative Data and Modeling Approaches to Measure Women’s Health

Call for Grant Applications -Innovative Data and Modeling Approaches to Measure Women’s Health

Organisation Name:

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Application Deadline:

25 March 2025

About Organisation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative in 2003, focusing on 14 major scientific challenges and awarding 44 grants totaling over $450 million. This initiative aimed to address ethical, social, and cultural issues alongside scientific advancements. Over the years, the program evolved, launching new challenges to drive innovation. In 2007, the foundation introduced Grand Challenges Explorations to rapidly engage global innovators through initial grants of $100,000, promoting diverse, transformative ideas. The initiative has confirmed that groundbreaking solutions emerge from all regions of the world. Through continuous support for research and development, the foundation seeks to drive impactful advancements in global health, particularly by addressing measurement gaps, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and ensuring sustainable, scalable solutions that improve health outcomes globally.

About the Grant

The Grand Challenge on Innovative Data and Modeling Approaches to Measure Women’s Health aims to redefine how women’s health is measured, addressing gaps in existing frameworks like the Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY). Current metrics fail to capture gender-sensitive, multidimensional health factors, leading to inadequate policy alignment. This challenge seeks innovative modeling techniques that leverage existing or easily obtainable data to create a more holistic, actionable understanding of women’s health. Key focus areas include gender disparities in education, access to healthcare services, and economic participation. Proposals should integrate intersectional approaches, enabling comparative analysis and real-world policy impact. The initiative builds on the Women’s Health Innovation Opportunity Map 2023, which identified critical areas for innovation. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and utilizing advanced data science, the challenge aims to generate scalable methodologies that inform policies, improve gender-equitable health outcomes, and ensure a comprehensive understanding of women’s health across different life stages.

Who can Apply?

The grant is open to nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies, international organizations, government agencies, and academic institutions. It strongly encourages applications from women-led organizations, early-career researchers, and practitioners working on innovative women’s health measurement approaches. Preference is given to institutions based in low- and middle-income countries. Eligible proposals should demonstrate novel methodologies for modeling women’s health, utilizing existing data sources while ensuring feasibility within current capacities. Projects must incorporate intersectional perspectives, addressing economic, social, and structural determinants of health that disproportionately affect women. Proposals should align with the Women’s Health Innovation Opportunity Map, focusing on multidimensional indicators beyond traditional health metrics. The initiative prioritizes solutions that generate actionable insights for national and global policy interventions, facilitate cross-country and subnational comparisons, and offer scalable, adaptable frameworks applicable across diverse contexts. Interdisciplinary collaboration across public health, economics, data science, and gender studies is highly encouraged to enhance impact and sustainability.

How to Apply?

Applicants must submit proposals detailing innovative data and modeling approaches to measure women’s health, focusing on gender-sensitive, intersectional methodologies. Submissions should outline feasibility, scalability, and policy impact, ensuring alignment with the challenge’s objectives.