Prize money incentive to complete desired social goal.

Provide a monetary prize to resolve a desired social goal.
For example a disease afflicts 10,000 citizens; causing an estimated impact of one million dollars a year, the government would offer a twenty million dollar prize (tax credits, cash, etc) to solve the problem. Only the government can determine the value of the goal and what goal is desirable, no cures looking for a paycheck. This could target smaller needs that would not normally see market solutions.