The University of Minnesota has received a $100,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Grand Challenges Explorations grant will support an innovative global health research project conducted by Reuben Harris, associate professor of biochemistry, molecular biology and biophysics, titled ‘Mortalizing HIV – A Novel Method to Help Eradicate AIDS.’

Harris’ project is one of 81 grants announced by the Gates Foundation in the second funding 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 grants were provided to scientists in 17 countries on six continents.

To receive funding, Harris showed in a two-page application how his idea falls outside current scientific paradigms and might lead to significant advances in global health. The highly competitive initiative received more than 3,000 proposals in this round.