Saving Brains: Unlocking Potential for Development

This initiative is focused on effective solutions to promote early childhood development and long-term human capital formation in the face of poverty.  As many as 200 million children fail to reach their full potential as a result of exposure to risk factors–malnutrition, infection, poor management of pregnancy, birth complications, and lack of stimulation and nurturing–in the first thousand days (from conception to 2 years of age).

Targeted interventions may help unlock the potential of the next generation of children – and provide their countries with an exit strategy from poverty. The complexity of the issue requires Integrated Innovation which is at the heart of the Grand Challenges Canada approach.

There are currently two programs under this initiative:

    1. Determine the economic impact of poverty-related risk factors for cognitive development and human capital

    The economic consequences of childhood malnutrition, infection, poor pregnancy and birth outcomes, and a lack of cognitive stimulation and nurturing, in decreasing adult human capital will be calculated by an interdisciplinary, international consortium. Eligible investigators are invited to register intent to participate in this consortium. Deadline for Letters of Intent (LOI): December 12, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. ET

    The intake period is closed and proposals are being considered.

  • Request for Proposals (October 2011)
  • Program FAQ (Letters of Intent)
  • Grand Challenges Canada Ethics Policy
  • Grand Challenges Canada Global Access Policy

2. Identify Early Life Interventions that Promote the Fulfillment of Human Capital

Assess the long-term effect of interventions given in the first thousand days on human capital by re-enrolling participants from completed randomized controlled trials. With a common set of measurements, the interventions will be compared for their relative ability to promote child development and human capital formation.

The intake period is closed and proposals are being considered.

Saving Brains Video

Dr. Peter A. Singer discusses Saving Brains with Dr. Karlee Silver. Saving Brains is program within Grand Challenges Canada’s Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health grand challenge and it is a key to unlocking potential for development.

QUERIES

Please submit queries to savingbrains@grandchallenges.ca