Grand Challenges: Innovations in Decentralized Pan-Orthoebolavirus Diagnostics

Organisme : Gates Foundation
Programme : Global Grand Challenges: Innovations in Decentralized Pan-Orthoebolavirus Diagnostics
Financement : 300 000 à 800 000 USD 
Durée : 18 à 36 mois

Description 

This Grand Challenge seeks specific, field-ready innovations in pan-Orthoebolavirus diagnostics that address the concrete gaps exposed by the 2026 outbreak and prepare the global community for the next one. We are seeking well-defined solutions to well-defined problems, from teams with the specific expertise, access, and partnerships to deliver them.

Table 1 outlines Opportunities in scope for this RFP, which spans biomarker discovery, specimen validation, and diagnostic product development. The relevant expertise is specific, the access requirements are strict, and proposals should come from teams with demonstrated track records in Orthoebolaviruses or related high-consequence pathogen diagnostics.

The target deployment setting is the Ebola hotspot region in DRC or other countries in the region. Solutions must eliminate the need for complex laboratory infrastructure, cold chain, and reliable electricity, and be suitable for areas with logistical disruption and healthcare workers who may have limited formal diagnostic training. Applicable design criteria for product-development-related proposals are described in Table 2.

The Challenge aims to:

• Generate scientific foundations including novel antigen targets, validated specimen types, and analytical reference data needed to develop the next generation of BDBV-capable, pan-Orthoebolavirus, and pan-viral-hemorrhagic-fever (VHF) diagnostic products.
• Accelerate development of field-deployable diagnostic products that work in Ituri-level settings with no cold chain, no laboratory, operable by community health workers, and validated against all Orthoebolaviruses.
• Build population-level early-warning capacity that can detect Orthoebolavirus transmission before the first hospitalized case, using environmental, data-driven, or genomic approaches adapted to endemic-country infrastructure.
• Strengthen quality assurance and implementation infrastructure to ensure that decentralized VHF testing is reliable, trustworthy, and sustained between outbreaks.

This initiative is open to research institutes, nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies, international organizations, government agencies, and academic institutions. The Foundation strongly encourages:

• Applications from institutions based in or partnering substantially with organizations in DRC, Uganda, or other EVD-endemic countries. Access to outbreak specimens, field sites, and community trust in affected areas is operationally critical to several use cases and will be weighted in review.
• Applications from investigators with prior experience in high-consequence pathogen diagnostics, specifically Orthoebolavirus or other BSL-4-classified pathogens. For Opportunities 1 and 2, prior experience in this space is an effective requirement.
• Multi-institutional collaborations pairing technology developers with accredited high-containment facilities, national reference laboratories, and clinical partners in endemic countries.

(contenu issu de la page du programme)