The Pan American Health and Education Foundation (PAHEF) 2006 Small Grants Program (SGP) aims to support innovative, results-oriented projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, such as operations research, teaching, the development of protocols, or related approaches to solving problems. Pan American Health Organisation technical units and country offices/centres, recognised non-governmental organisations, universities, semi-autonomous government laboratories, and research centres in Latin America and the Caribbean are invited to apply for one or two year project grants in the US$5,000 to US$25,000 range.

During the two year period 2005-2006, the SGP focuses on two priority health areas:

• Enhancing infection control practices in health-care settings.
• Improving the health of indigenous peoples.

PAHEF explains that "A network of microbiology laboratories operating under international standards of quality control throughout Latin America are collecting data that are beginning to show the magnitude of the problem of antimicrobial resistance in the region. The next step is now needed: the integration of culture data with infection control and antibiotic utilization data to identify the best practices that would allow prevention of infections, while decreasing decrease the risk of antibiotic resistance in hospitals."

According to the foundation's website, "one of the persistent challenges in working with indigenous communities has been the failure of public health interventions proven to be effective in the general population." Operations research is needed to understand the adaptations that are necessary to make these interventions culturally appropriate and effective. "

PAHEF also wishes to support the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. For the two-year period 2005-2006, the Board of Trustees has focused on two MDGs:

• Goal 4. Reduce Child Mortality
• Goal 5. Improve Maternal Health

Click here for more information.

All organisations must submit a two-page grant submission cover form along with the proposal. All proposals must be submitted in English and all budgets must be expressed in US dollars.

Click here for application guidelines.