Reinvent the Toilet Challenge Round 2 - Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is inviting innovators to send letters of inquiry for the opportunity: Reivent the Toilet Challenge - RTTC (Round 2). A new set of innovative ideas across the globe from all disciplines is being sought.

Grants will be awarded to exceptionally highly-qualified research groups interested in contributing to major advances in human sanitation in the developing world. These R&D efforts will comprise a new phase of the Foundation’s Reinvent the Toilet Challenge: fast-paced designing, prototyping and demonstrating-in-operation of entirely stand-alone, self-contained, eminently-practical sanitation modules which intake bodily wastes and swiftly dispose of them definitively – without any incoming water piping, outgoing sewer piping or electric or gas utility services. These modules must intake all outputs of the serviced population – ultimately at single-residence scales – with minimal module footprints and assured biosafety. Thus, chemical and mechanical engineering approaches are preferred.

How to Apply

A single-page typed-or-printed letter of inquiry and capability declaration should be submitted no later than May 10th 2012 in order to be assured of consideration.  This should concisely declare the nature of interest, relevant backgrounds and salient qualifications of Principal Investigator(s) and key group members, cite pertinent publications and the date by which a grant-supported effort could commence (after August 31, 2012 and before January 1, 2013), and the basic architecture, scale and key milestones of the contemplated effort to be proposed for grant consideration.  Please note that submission of a letter of inquiry or capability declaration does not imply, directly or indirectly, that any such submission will result in an award of a grant or any other funding.

For any enquiry, kindly email the foundation at GDWSHInbox@gatesfoundation.org.

A full description of the topic and application instructions is available at http://www.gatesfoundation.org/reinvent-the-toilet-loi.

Applicants can be at any experience level; in any discipline; and from any organization, including colleges and universities, government laboratories, research institutions, non-profit organizations and for profit companies.