Deadline: 16 Dec 2025
The Science for Africa Foundation seeks applications that contribute to the development of vaginal formulations promoting optimal drug delivery within the vaginal compartment while supporting the vaginal milieu and offering additional desirable benefits such as enhancement of sexual pleasure.
This opportunity aims to foster innovation in women’s health by supporting research that not only advances vaginal drug delivery systems but also enhances user experience and acceptance through biologically and socially informed design.
Applicants may apply to address one or both of the following objectives of the challenge. The first objective focuses on defining the characteristics of an ideal vaginal product through qualitative studies that identify the specific features most appealing to women, particularly those of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries.
This includes exploring ancillary benefits such as odor control or sexual enhancement, as well as understanding cultural, regional, and demographic factors that influence preferences and barriers to use. The goal is to gather insights that can transform vaginal products from being merely “tolerable” to genuinely “desirable.”
The second objective aims to leverage the biology of the vaginal microenvironment to develop innovative, scalable, and low-cost delivery formulations. It encourages the creation or enhancement of components such as films and tablets that maintain or improve the vaginal microbiome and mucosal health, while evaluating their impact on biological elements like mucus, host cells, and microbes to optimize drug delivery.
Successful awardees are expected to receive grants ranging from $100,000 to $200,000 for a duration of up to 24 months. Exploratory projects with shorter durations and lower budgets focusing on high-risk, innovative areas will be prioritized. The budgets must align with the project scope, and indirect costs should not exceed 10–15% of the total award.
This initiative is open to research institutes, nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies, international organizations, government agencies, and academic institutions. Applicants are required to comply with the Foundation’s global access clause.
Collaborative approaches are encouraged, particularly those involving women-led projects or institutions based in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Proposals should focus on vaginal delivery methods that do not require retrieval or disposal, can support extended or slow release of active ingredients, and should employ innovative and rigorous qualitative approaches.
Studies must generate biological or end-user data from LMIC regions, adhere to national data regulations, and present clear, evidence-based rationales supported by peer-reviewed literature. Projects should demonstrate feasibility through preliminary data or, in its absence, limit the proposed scope accordingly. Proposals emphasizing diversity, inclusion, and partnerships with LMIC-based reproductive health experts will receive priority.
However, funding will not be provided for proposals evaluating existing vaginal products, those focusing solely on specific treatments such as STIs or contraceptives, or approaches infeasible for LMIC settings. Purely exploratory research without translational potential, projects relying only on qualitative methods like focus groups, or those ignoring end-user preferences will also be excluded.
For more information, visit Science for Africa Foundation.
