The topics for round 3 of Gates Grand Challenges Explorations (in global health) were recently announced:

* Creating Low-Cost Diagnostics for Priority Global Health Conditions

* Creating New Tools to Accelerate the Eradication of Malaria

* Creating New Vaccines for Diarrhea, HIV, Malaria, Pneumonia and Tuberculosis

* Creating New Ways to Induce Mucosal Immunity

The first two challenges are brand new (and probably the most feasible, because they can be solved with mechanical or electrical devices). As you know, low-cost diagnostics are a topic that I'm deeply interested in, and I'm very happy to see this new addition. Though 100k really isn't much for a research grant, it is enough of an incentive to encourage researchers and students to at least brainstorm and submit some crazy ideas. And yes, I know, that is the point.