The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded nationally prominent scientist Jeffrey T. Jensen, MD, MPH, Leon Speroff Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a $100,000 grant to investigate the safety and effectiveness of a novel low-cost family-planning option that may be applicable to women in low-resource countries worldwide.

“The commitment by the Gates Foundation to place family planning as a major priority for funding has been a big boost to investigators in this field. A safe, low-cost method of permanent female sterilization would meet the needs of many women worldwide and have a major impact on reducing total fertility rates and poverty,” said Dr. Jensen.

Dr. Jensen is one of 65 investigators in 16 countries to receive funding in the fifth round of Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative to help scientists around the world explore bold and largely unproven ways to improve health in developing countries. The initiative is highly competitive, receiving more than 2,400 proposals in this round.

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