Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT) Target Research Platform

The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT) is a non-profit organisation focused on promoting the discovery and development of new health technologies, including drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics, to combat infectious diseases prevalent in developing countries.

GHIT is funded by the Japanese Government, Japanese pharmaceutical companies, the Wellcome Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with the aim of providing investment for international partnerships that bring Japanese innovation to the global fight against infectious diseases and poverty in the developing world.

The GHIT Fund’s Target Research Platform in Partnership with the Wellcome Trust is intended to support early stage research and development – the discovery of new approaches, concepts, constructs and solutions, but not product development – of radically new and improved drugs, vaccines or diagnostics to prevent and treat malaria, tuberculosis and other Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) that are prevalent in developing countries.

Proposals are invited from new or existing international collaborations that include Japanese and non-Japanese organisations working in the field of health intervention R&D, including academic institutions, government research institutions, not-for-profit research organisations and foundations, companies with a research facility in Japan, life science/healthcare companies and product development partnerships. The GHIT Target Research Platform offers a maximum project investment of ¥100,000,000 over two years.

Eligible projects could include, but are not limited to:

Novel mechanisms of action for therapeutic targeting

Pathogen component targeting to impact disease rather than infection

Novel vaccine concepts, targets and constructs

New and improved approaches to diagnostic assays

The application process involves two stages: an initial Intent to Apply form followed by a full proposal for selected applications.

Intent to Apply forms for the first 2020 call for applications must be submitted by the closing date of 17 December 2019 (10am Tokyo Time).

More information about this research funding opportunity and the application process is available on the RESEARCHconnect funding information platform. RESEARCHconnect provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on research funding news and policy. To find out more about how RESEARCHconnect can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.