The Impact of Scientists Without Borders
Two global development innovation challenges were highlighted during a recent White House event.
Published February 8, 2012
By Diana Friedman
On Wednesday, February 8, Scientists Without Borders was recognized at an event at the White House for its model to foster game-changing innovations with the potential to solve long-standing global development challenges.
The event was hosted by Dr. John P. Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Gayle Smith, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director, National Security Council; and Dr. Rajiv Shah Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development. During the event, the Administration highlighted select partnerships that demonstrate how the government, the private sector, and NGOs are harnessing science, technology, and innovation to promote global development. The White House included two Scientists Without Borders projects as examples of its unique model for successfully combining the organization’s strength in crowdsourcing with its world-class strategic partner network to accelerate innovation in critical nutritional interventions.
“We are honored that the Administration has recognized our unique, open, and innovation-driven model for leveraging science and technology to surface and accelerate solutions to the most urgent development challenges, along with the other important efforts announced today” said Shaifali Puri, Executive Director of Scientists Without Borders. “We believe that these projects demonstrate our capacity to leverage our highly credible and independent network of scientific expertise and combine it with the resources and assets of our world-class partners to identify potentially game-changing solutions, and drive them to implementation and impact.”
Partnering with PepsiCo
In response to the President’s call to action, Scientists Without Borders formed a partnership with PepsiCo on a $10,000 global maternal malnutrition challenge seeking innovative and scalable solutions for tackling micronutrient deficiency among women of childbearing age in the developing world. In 2011, that challenge reached 300,000 people worldwide and generated ideas from 22 countries. Scientists Without Borders and PepsiCo are partnering once again to advance the winning solution to triple fortify salt with folic acid to the pilot and implementation phase.
“At PepsiCo, we realize that no one organization can solve complex, global issues alone. Public-private partnerships and open approaches to innovation are critical to achieving meaningful progress in the fight against chronic disease,” said George Mensah, MD, Vice President of PepsiCo Nutrition. “We’re proud to support Scientists Without Borders and their vitally important work to alleviate folic acid deficiency among women of childbearing age in the developing world. Their competition sparked many ideas with great potential and we’re excited to continue our partnership as they work to advance implementation of the winning idea.”
Also reflecting the President’s call to action, Scientists Without Borders announced a recent partnership with DSM and its humanitarian arm, Sight and Life, to design and issue a new challenge seeking innovative ideas for more sustainable packaging for micronutrient powders (MNPs), one of the most widely-distributed and cost-effective nutrition interventions in resource-poor settings.
Improving Public Health and the Environment
The current foil packaging for MNPs creates significant waste since 200-300 million are distributed a year and two-thirds of the current cost of production of MNPs is attributable to the packaging. A new delivery mechanism could dramatically reduce waste and make the powders more cost efficient-potentially increasing their availability to the world’s hungry. Scientists Without Borders will announce the challenge this Spring, and DSM and Sight and Life will sponsor a prize of at least $25,000 for the most innovative ideas.
“DSM and its humanitarian nutrition think tank, Sight and Life, are excited to partner with Scientists Without Borders to find more innovative and sustainable approaches to tackle malnutrition,” said Dr. Klaus Kraemer, Director of Sight and Life. “Micronutrient powders are one of the most effective nutritional interventions in resource-poor communities. By sponsoring an incentive prize designed by Scientists Without Borders, to challenge researchers to conceive of novel packaging and distribution models, we hope to better reach millions of people with this critical intervention, improve their lives, and have a better effect on the environment.”
Also read: Crowdsourcing for Health Across Borders
