Call for Proposals: The Microsoft AI for Health COVID-19 Grants 2020

The Microsoft AI for Health COVID-19 Grants is open for applications. Given the urgency of the COVID-19 crisis, they are accepting requests in the AI for Health program for COVID-19 grant proposals from nonprofits, academia, and governments. This is a focused effort for COVID-19 grant requests only.

This grant program provides Azure cloud and High-Performance Computing capabilities. Our team of AI for Health data science experts, whose mission is to improve the health of people and communities worldwide, is also open to collaborations with COVID-19 researchers as they tackle this critical challenge. More broadly, Microsoft’s research scientists across the world, spanning computer science, biology, medicine, and public health, will also be available to provide advice and collaborate per mutual interest.

To apply for a grant, you must prepare a description, no longer than three pages, of your proposal which cover the following questions. Do not include any proprietary information in proposals. It is expected that teams who receive AI for Health COVID-19 grants will publish their work and results in an open manner.

Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Potential benefits and clearly defined impact to the COVID-19 response
Feasibility of the technical approach
Need for Azure Computing and/or AI to solve the problem
Knowledge and experience managing Azure within your organization
Estimated computing resource requirements

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Scientific/Technical Goal

Describe how your proposed work contributes to our understanding of COVID-19 and/or improves our ability to respond to the pandemic.

What is the scientific/technical goal?
What is the plan and timetable for achieving the goal?
Where do you plan to publish your results and in what timeline?

Estimate of Compute, Storage and Other Resources

To the extent possible, provide an estimate of the scale and type of the resources needed to complete the work.

Are there specific computing architectures or systems that are most appropriate
How much computing support will this effort approximately require in terms of core, node, or GPU hours?
Describe the storage needs of the project.
What type of data will be used in your project?
Does your project require access to any public datasets? If so, please describe these datasets and how you intend to use them?

Team Composition and Preparedness

Summarize your team’s qualifications and readiness to execute the project.

What expertise and experience does your team bring to the project?
What is the expected lead time before you can begin using the provided resources?
Are there any additional research references you would like to provide (e.g. Papers, Videos, Web pages, etc.)?
List of the researchers and/or technical resources that are part of the project team.

Submissions will be reviewed and responded to within 14 days.

Please Note: All data will only be used to determine what applicants will receive a grant, to provision the grant, and to manage the AI for Health grant program. Please do not disclose any proprietary details in your application submission.