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​Funding

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We provide funding support for the research and development of new non-hormonal, reversible male contraceptives.

Male Contraceptive Initiative supports science that moves male contraceptives forward. ​We support a broad program of research including discovery-stage and pre-clinical studies across the drug and device realms. We also support young researchers, development of tools that promote the field, and social science that illustrates the demand and need for male contraceptives. On this page we feature information about our funding schemes, links to internal and external announcements, and contact information.
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Innovation Grants

​These grants support exciting early stage research in previously unexplored areas as well as promising development programs advancing towards first-in-man studies.

MCI'S GRANTEES
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Funding Opportunities

We look for innovative opportunities and investments in the field of male contraception research.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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Trainee Support

We support graduate and postdoctoral trainees, allowing them to grow their careers and build their own programs.

TRAINEE SUPPORT

​Funding Innovation in Male Contraception

At Male Contraceptive Initiative, we believe that groundbreaking ideas can emerge from anywhere. We support scientists, students, and researchers across the globe, working in academia, private industry, and non-profit organizations.

Our diverse funding portfolio includes long-term and short-term investments in a wide range of male contraceptive research, including innovative technologies like devices that can last for years, on-demand contraceptives, and daily pills; market research to understand demand and preferences; moonshot projects that explore high-risk, high-reward research initiatives; and early career support for young investigators.

By supporting a broad range of research, we’re fostering innovation and accelerating the development of new male contraceptive options.

Looking for funding opportunities? Click this button:

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Male Contraceptive Initiative's Funding Strategy
Infographic showing the research focus of active grants by the Male Contraceptive Initiative. Largest area is Sperm Function (35.8%), followed by Sperm Generation (29.1%), and smaller percentages for other categories.

MCI’s Research Focus of Active Grants
Infographic showing a chart of male contraceptive product types in grants: on-demand (32.5%), daily oral pill (32.1%), long-acting (17.3%), other (1.7%), and undefined (16.5%), with explanatory text for each type.

MCI’s Funding Activities by Product Type

What are the male birth control research activities is MCI supporting?

The science of male birth control can be a little intimidating if you do not have a background in science. To counter this, we created this section to make the work we are supporting a bit more accessible to the general public.

A single injection that ensures a man cannot cause a pregnancy for years and is completely reversible.

A young man with short dark hair and light skin, wearing a light blue button-up shirt, stands against a plain white background, smiling softly at the camera.

Our grantee Contraline has invented a proprietary hydrogel called ADAM™ that is implanted into the vas deferens through a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure.

The hydrogel works by blocking sperm from traveling through the vas deferens. Similar to intrauterine devices (IUDs) for women, Contraline’s contraceptive is designed to last for years and be reversible. MCI’s support will be used by Contraline to prepare for filing with the FDA and initiating first-in-human trials.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CONTRALINE

​A reversible male birth control that impacts the head of the sperm, preventing it from fertilizing an egg.

A scientist in a white lab coat and gloves smiles while using a pipette to transfer pink liquid into a test tube in a laboratory setting. Shelves with lab supplies are visible in the background.

Our grantee Dr. Wei Yan and his team of researchers have developed a new compound derived from a Chinese herb called the Thunder God vine (Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook F).

The compound works by causing the head of sperm to be malformed such that they are not able to connect with and fertilize a female egg. This effect only occurs while the compound is consumed, and normal function is fully restored after discontinuing use. MCI’s support allowed Dr. Yan and his team to explore the effects of the compound and publish their results.

Because of MCI’s grant, our sister organization Contraceptive Accelerator Network is performing nonclinical studies on Triptonide that advance it towards human studies.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DR. WEI YAN

A biodegradable implant injected just below the skin’s surface that can deliver a male contraceptive over a sustained period of time.

A woman with long brown hair wearing a sleeveless white top smiles at the camera in a brightly lit, blurred laboratory setting.

Our grantee Dr. Rahima Benhabbour designs and fabricates delivery platforms for HIV prevention, cancer treatment, and contraception.

Dr. Benhabbour launched her first start-up AnelleO, Inc. in 2016, focusing on developing 3D-printed intravaginal rings for the treatment of infertility. MCI’s support will help facilitate studies that develop and implement an injectable device that can carry drug and translate into human studies.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DR. RAHIMA BENHABBOUR

A daily, or even on-demand, method of male birth control that prevent sperm from being able to swim when taken.

A smiling older woman wearing glasses and a white lab coat stands in a laboratory. The lab coat has a University of Minnesota logo and reads College of Pharmacy. Scientific equipment is visible in the background.

Our grantee Dr. Gunda Georg’s group has published over 200 scientific articles on the design, synthesis, and evaluation of biologically active agents. In addition to male contraception, her lab investigates areas of cancer and female contraception.

Dr. Georg’s lab has focused on investigating the testis-specific serine kinase (TSSK) family. These proteins are expressed after sperm have been developed, and are likely involved in multiple steps that could make them excellent contraceptive targets. MCI’s support will help Dr. Georg’s team investigate the sperm-specific isoform of Na,K-ATPase, which is crucial for sperm motility (e.g., sperm’s ability to swim).

LEARN MORE ABOUT DR. GUNDA GEORG

A reversible male birth control method that causes sperm to become sterile.

A scientist wearing a white lab coat and gloves examines a sample under a microscope in a laboratory with dim lighting.

Our grantee Dr. Stephen L’Hernault and his lab have worked on spermatogenesis (i.e., sperm creation) and fertilization for over 30 years.

Dr. L’Hernault is working on developing compounds that can block the function of the IZUMO1 protein, which is required to fertilize an egg. MCI’s support will help Dr. L’Hernault’s team to identify small compounds that reversibly block the function of the IZUMO1 protein.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DR. STEVEN L'HERNAULT

​A cohort of excited young researchers motivated by curiosity, ambition, and the social good associated with male birth control.

Logo featuring a gray geometric symbol next to bold blue letters MCI with the words Male Contraceptive Initiative written below in blue.

Our Fellowship program features a mix of graduate and postdoctoral trainees, all working towards creating non-hormonal, reversible male contraceptive methods.

Our Fellows work on a diverse portfolio of projects that help move the male birth control forward. Our support allows our distinguished Fellows to focus on the research, publish data, and build the background they need to sustain a long career as an investigator.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MCI'S FELLOWS

An on-demand method of male birth control that you take just before sex.

Two older men wearing glasses and short-sleeved, collared shirts stand side by side indoors. There is a portrait of an older man and shelves filled with books in the background.

Drs. Lonny Levin and Jochen Buck are professors at Weill Cornell Medicine and are working on inhibitors of soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) as on-demand male contraceptives. Their deep expertise in sAC keeps them attuned to the effects of inhibitors on sperm functions such as motility.

MCI is supporting work that develops novel inhibitors of sAC as on-demand male contraceptives as well as translational research that assesses the pharmacodynamics of inhibitors on human sperm. These steps are crucial to understanding how the drug stays associated to sperm after ejaculation and its potential contraceptive efficacy.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LEVIN-BUCK LABORATORY
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