Grand Challenges: Saving Brains
Good Apples » Canadian Government Sponsors Saving Brains Initiative
October 29, 2012
Grand Challenges Canada, a government organization that focuses on global health in the developing world, has initiated 11 new research projects to investigate and foster cognitive development around the globe. The program is called the Saving Brains Initiative. The Canadian government has invested CAD 11.8 million (around US$12 million) in the cause, backing the effort for at least two years.

The Saving Brains program is divided into two causes. The first seeks to “determine the economic impact of poverty-related risk factors for cognitive development and human capital.” In other words, the monetary impact of inhibited mental development will be analyzed. The second aims to “identify early life interventions that promote the fulfillment of human capital.” This cause will focus on the first thousand days of brain development and analyze its impact in the long-term.

Peter Singer, the chief executive of Grand Challenges Canada, stated in an interview  with SciDev.net, “An opportunity to develop brain development is an opportunity to develop a child and a developed child will maximise his/her potential for a country’s development.”

According to the website, 200 million children fail to reach their full cognitive potential because of a whole host of factors: “malnutrition, infection, poor management of pregnancy, birth complications, and lack of stimulation and nurturing–in the first thousand days (from conception to 2 years of age).”

---

• Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP)
  A pioneering, interdisciplinary research partnership that is directing a world-leading contribution to new understanding and approaches to early child development. HELP is a network of faculty, researchers and graduate students from six BC universities (UBC Vancouver, UBC Okanagan, UVic, SFU, UNBC, and TWU). HELP facilitates the creation of new knowledge in human early learning and child development, and helps apply this knowledge in the community by working directly with government and communities.
  

---

• The Families All Matter Book Project (FAM)
• Touchpoints
  
• The National Parenting Center
  
• Parenting Counts
  
• Listening Mothers
  
• The Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development

---

Global Initiatives

• The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood 
  
• Global Children’s Initiative: Centre on the Developing Child: Harvard University
  
• Every Child Matters Education Fund 
  
• Every Woman, Every Child: FAMILY CARE INTERNATIONAL (FCI) 
  
• Project Kids Worldwide 
• The Early Development Instrument: Benefits to Children, Families and Communities
• United Nations Girls Education Initiative
• World Education