A challenge,eh?

Challenges are all the rage in science this week. Besides the Centennial Challenges organised by NASA,Americas space agency,the Bill amp; Melinda Gates Foundations Grand Challenges Explorations are also in the news. This programme,which is open to researchers from around the world,is intended to provide seed money for the development of ideas that might improve the health of those living in poor countries.

Seventy-six grants of 100,000 each are being disbursed in this,the third round of funding. The lucky winners range from a type of chewing gum that can detect signs of malaria in a persons saliva,via a solar-activated mosquito-larva poison,to a way of equipping mobile phones with microphones to record peoples coughs and allow pneumonia to be diagnosed remotely.

The idea is to give scientists particularly young ones the chance to let their imaginations run riot without having to worry too much about failure. Those that do report plausibly positive results,however,will be eligible for a top-up.

So far,20 people have reported back from earlier rounds. One has been awarded a further 1m and two others 100,000,to keep them in the game-though the foundation is not releasing details of who they are until it has heard back from everyone.

Bids for the next round the fourth of a planned five are being accepted until November 2nd.

The Economist Newspaper Limited 2009