The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Grand Challenges (GC) partners that include GC Africa, GC Brazil, GC Ethiopia, GC India and GC Senegal, is calling for groundbreaking proposals that can use artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle global health issues in an equitable manner.
This is a follow-up to the initial call from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation representing collaborative steps towards identifying, nurturing, and generating the creativity, energy and skills that researchers, implementers, governments and technical partners have demonstrated in solving challenges in their countries and regions.
AI has significant potential to transform healthcare worldwide. But as this technology continues to advance, there is an urgent need to position low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to lead on the design and co-creation of AI-enabled technologies – to help improve the health and well-being of women, children and vulnerable communities.
As the world rapidly moves to seize AI’s opportunities, monitoring and mitigating the safety, ethical, equity and reliability dimensions of AI deployment is imperative.
We are optimistic that this family of related AI Requests for Applications (RFAs) will provide a platform for potentially transformative solutions to improve the lives and conditions of numerous vulnerable communities.
Innovative approaches to using Large Language Models to advance global public health are invited through this RFA.
Given the numerous open and non-open-source AI tools, we encourage applicants to select the tool most appropriate to their use case and context.
We are looking for projects seeking to solve problems in the following areas: (1) Clinical decision support, (2) Population health & policymaking, (3) Support for frontline health workers, (4)
Health communications & patient journeys and (5) Health systems strengthening.
Funding Level: This request for applications will provide grants up to USD $100 000 (± ZAR 1 600 000) for up to 12 months through the Grand Challenges South Africa programme.
Geography of interest: The project needs to be led by investigators who are citizens or permanent residents of South Africa. Global partners may be included, but applications must demonstrate that at least 80% of the funding goes to an organisation in South Africa. Application budgets should be commensurate with the scope of work proposed.
Professor Glenda Gray, president and CEO of SAMRC, said: “I am proud to announce our active participation in the Grand Challenges on Artificial Intelligence, dedicated to harnessing the power of AI to address global health challenges equitably.
“This is the kind of innovation we need to get us to the last mile in delivering healthcare. We believe innovation knows no boundaries, and by embracing AI, we can bridge the gap in healthcare accessibility and outcomes. We extend an open invitation for proposals from qualifying organisations, as together, we can unlock a brighter, healthier future for all.”
IMPORTANT
Applications must be submitted through the SAMRC Application Portal:
Refer to the RFA document for further details. Deadline: Tuesday, 7 November 2023 @23h00 SAST
Please note: Applications received after the closing date and time will not be considered for funding.
For further enquiries:
1. Zoleka Ngcete Programme Manager: Strategic Health Innovation Partnerships Email: Zoleka.Ngcete@mrc.ac.za
2. Yolanda Phakela Public Relations Manager Email: Yolanda.Phakela@mrc.ac.za Mobile: +27 73 801 3691
Issued by the SA Medical Research Council