The Gates Foundation has announced a $540 million grant to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, marking one of its biggest investments in health research. As reported by Fortune, the 10-year funding will help expand global health data and research used by governments and policymakers to respond to disease outbreaks and improve healthcare.

The historic gift to a University of Washington research institute lands as the federal government retreats from funding science.

The Gates Foundation has announced a $540 million grant to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, marking one of its biggest…