The Gates Vaccine Innovation Award _ Deadline: 17-Nov-2011

Hundreds of thousands of lives each year could be saved by improved access to vaccines. Vaccines are cost-effective, safe, and proven to protect children from disease. 

 Continued innovation is essential to overcoming persistent challenges in reaching more children with vaccines.

The Gates Vaccine Innovation Award will celebrate revolutionary ways in which children in the poorest parts of the world are immunized. The award winner will be recognized with $250,000 (U.S.) and personally acknowledged by Gates Foundation leadership.
 


The Gates Vaccine Innovation Award is open to individuals from any discipline. Candidates from academic institutions, governments, healthcare facilities, research institutions, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit companies may be nominated.
We invite you to nominate individuals or a group of individuals who have achieved significant improvements in the prevention, control, or elimination of vaccine-preventable diseases through immunization.
Criteria
We recognize that innovation in the delivery of vaccines can take many shapes. Rather than limit what innovation can mean, we welcome a diverse array of ideas. As long as the innovation resulted in tangible health impact related to vaccine delivery, it is eligible for consideration.
Nominees will be assessed on three broad criteria:

• Impact – The nominee should have achieved significant improvements in the prevention, control, or elimination of vaccine-preventable disease.
• Innovation and creativity – The nominee should have applied imaginative and pioneering approaches to overcome difficult challenges to immunizing children and achieving impact.
• Scale – The nominee’s innovation should be at scale or suitable to be implemented at scale within the nominee’s country and around the world.

If you are unable to complete the online nomination form, please download and complete this form. Please submit downloaded nominations via email to vaccine-innovation-award@gatesfoundation.org, or via fax to +1-206-494-7042. Nominations will be accepted through 11:30 AM Pacific Standard Time on November 17, 2011.
Please note that nominations focused on innovation in the areas of science and research & development are not eligible for consideration. This award is focused only on programs and policies associated with achieving impact through the delivery of vaccines.

Qualifications
In order to qualify for consideration:

• Nominations must be related to vaccine delivery and meet the criteria above.
• Nomination forms must be completed in English.
• The two essay questions should be answered within the font and word-limit requirements.

Please note that nominations focused on innovation in the areas of science and research & development are not eligible for consideration. This award is focused only on programs and policies associated with achieving impact through the delivery of vaccines. To get started, read the Rules and Guidelines. It contains detailed information on all aspects of the Gates Vaccine Innovation Award. Please also read the Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. Any information submitted by you or on your behalf with respect to the Gates Vaccine Innovation Award (including your nomination, contact information, and any related documentation and communications) will be subject to and handled in accordance with the provisions outlined in these three documents.

Tips for Nominators
Following are some tips for those wish to submit nominations:

• Nominations must represent an innovative approach to vaccine delivery work that has demonstrated impact. There are other avenues of funding for equally important research in other areas. See current Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant opportunities here.
• Nominations will be reviewed by a panel with broad expertise and a track record in identifying innovations. These reviewers may not be deep experts in your field. Ideas should be described in clear language without the use of technical jargon unique to a particular field.
• Documentation of the innovation does not need to be sent with the initial nomination form. However, credible evidence supporting the validity of a project or sufficient proof of innovation may be requested at a later date. We will need to contact the nominee prior to the prize being issued.
• Nominators should review the policies, guidelines, terms, and conditions associated with this award.

Please contact: vaccine-innovation-award@gatesfoundation.org for additional information.

Moreinfo: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/vaccines/Pages/vaccine-innovation-award.aspx