The company's External Research & Programs unit plans to issue a request for proposals September 15 for research titled the "Cell Phone as a Platform for Healthcare." The goals of the research should be to explore applications and the evolution of cell phones for health care services as well as to develop and disseminate new health care services prototypes and mobile technology tools.

The research also should differentiate which mobile phone medical applications are relevant to rural, urban and worldwide communities as well as determine the appropriate infrastructures that must be created to provide affordable and accessible health care services with them. Applications for grants, which will total $700,000, will be accepted until October 29. Awards will be announced in January.

Microsoft also plans to issue an RFP on Dec. 2 titled "Genome Wide Association Studies." The goals of this research are to address some of the computing limitations for academic research in this area, such as data access, query optimization, visualization tools, standardization of data collection and optimization of algorithms.

Applications for these grants, which will total $1 million, will be accepted through Jan. 31. Awards will be announced in March.