Health Outcomes Research

AWARD AIMS

• To provide stipend support for individuals engaged in a research training program that will extend their credentials in health outcomes.
• To support the post-doctoral career development of individuals prepared to engage in research that will strengthen representation of health outcomes in schools of pharmacy, medicine, nursing, and public health.

PROGRAM FOCUS

Pharmacoeconomics, Real World Data and Health Outcomes Program (Health Outcomes Research) spans a broad spectrum of issues related to health-care delivery, from studies evaluating effectiveness of a pharmaceutical intervention, to the impact of reimbursement policies on outcomes of care. It also ranges from the development and use of patient-level real-world data and tools to perform patient-based assessments to analyses of ways in which results of Health Outcomes Research are disseminated to providers or consumers to encourage behavior change.

Health Outcomes Research incorporates a variety of methods, data, and tools from different disciplines. The application of Health Outcomes Research principles in evaluating the design, delivery, safe use and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals includes but isn’t limited to the following general areas:

Pharmacoeconomics evaluates behavior of individuals, organizations, and markets concerning use of pharmaceutical products, services, and programs. The discipline frequently focuses on costs (inputs) and consequences (outcomes) of pharmaceutical use.

Clinical Outcomes Assessment (COA) includes Patient Reported Outcomes, Clinician-Reported Outcomes, Performance Outcomes and Observer-Reported Outcomes. COA focuses on the value assigned to duration of life as modified by the impairment of physical, social, and psychological functional states, symptoms, satisfaction, perceptions, and opportunities influenced by disease, injury, treatment, or policy.

Patient-level Real-World Data and Analytic Tools: Health Outcomes Research depends on the evolving and increasing use, and evaluation of technologies, analyses and patient-level prospective databases (e.g. electronic medical records, health insurance claims data, registries, patient health-networks, patient health status monitoring) to assist in better understanding diseases and interventions.

Analyses and terminology under the umbrella of health outcomes include:

Biomarkers and Genetic Epidemiology                      Health Services Research

Burden of Disease                                                      Health Technology Assessment

Clinical Outcomes Assessment                                  Patient Engagement in Research

Comparative Effectiveness Research                         Pharmacoeconomics

Compliance/Adherence                                              Pharmacoepidemiology

Cost-Benefit Analysis                                                  Real-World Data and Evidence

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis                                        Value Assessment

Cost-Utility Analysis

The review committee will review and evaluate health outcomes research proposals that are directly or indirectly related to pharmaceutical interventions. 

ELIGIBILITY and REQUIREMENTS

• Applicants (U.S. and non-U.S. citizens) attending schools of medicine, pharmacy, public health, nursing, and dentistry are eligible for this award.
• Applicants (U.S. and non-U.S. citizens) must have a firm commitment from a sponsor (a.k.a. mentor) at an accredited U.S. university.
• Applicants must hold a PhD, PharmD, or MD degree.  If you do not hold one at the time of application submission, please state in your extended letter when you expect to receive it, as it must be received before funding could begin. Funding can begin as early as July 1, 2021 or as late as December 1, 2021.
• Applicants are encouraged to apply at the earliest point possible in their postdoctoral research. Applicants requesting funds to continue an existing postdoctoral program for a third to fifth year will not be considered, nor will preference be given to those applying for funds to support postdoctoral work in the laboratory where their graduate work was performed.
• Applicants must write and submit a research plan and provide the mentor’s research record, as well as a description of how the mentoring experience will enhance their career development in Health Outcomes Research.

 

FUNDING

• This award is two years and provides $55,000 in stipend support per year. The second year of funding is based upon the PhRMA Foundation receiving a satisfactory progress report from the applicant upon the completion of the first ten months of funding.
• The funding for this fellowship is intended solely as a stipend and may not be used otherwise. If necessary, the institution may supplement the award to a level that is consistent with other postdoctoral fellowships it currently offers. (Please upload a “Stipend Justification” explaining whether the stipend is to be supplemented and the amount. 
• The fellowship provides no other subsidies (travel, tuition, fringe benefit costs, etc.).
• PhRMA Foundation funds may not be used for indirect costs to the university.
• Fellowships may be activated beginning July 1, 2021 or on the first day of any month thereafter, up to and including December 1, 2021.
• Payments will be made directly to the university on a quarterly basis.
• An individual may not simultaneously hold or interrupt any other fellowship providing stipend support while the PhRMA Foundation fellowship is active.
• A financial report will be required upon completion of the first twelve months of funding.
• A final progress report and financial report will be required at the conclusion of the fellowship.
• Unspent funds are to be returned to the PhRMA Foundation.
• These funds are non-transferable.
• Any changes to the proposed project must be approved by the PhRMA Foundation.

 

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Health Outcomes Research

Application deadline for all materials (applications and letters of support) is February 1, 2021 @ 11:59 PM EST.

To start an application, go to the proposalCENTRAL website at https://proposalcentral.com/. If you are a new user of proposalCENTRAL, follow the “CREATE AN ACCOUNT NOW” link under “Need an Account?” and complete the registration process. If you are already a registered user, login at https://proposalcentral.com/ with your username and password. If you have forgotten your password, click the “Forgot your Password?” link.

Once you are logged in, please click the “Professional Profile” tab at the top and complete steps 1-10 or update with current information. Your name, degrees, Position/Title, Academic Rank, Department and address will be pulled from this page in proposalCENTRAL.

To start an application, select the “Grant Opportunities” tab and a list of applications will be displayed. Find “PhRMA Foundation” and click the Apply Now link next to the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Health Outcomes Research to create your Application.

We look forward to receiving your application. Items needed:

1. General Registration Information
2. Applicant Biosketch (should be NIH or NSF format)
3. Extended Letter

This letter is an opportunity to tell us who you are and to describe your career and future plans. Include a synopsis of your career, your professional interests, and your desired career path. The letter should not exceed two single-spaced pages (U.S. letter size 8.5” x 11” / 12-point font / .5” margin).

Note: In order to receive a PhRMA Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in Health Outcomes Research, you must hold a PhD, PharmD, or MD degree. If you do not hold one at the time of application submission, please state in your extended letter when you expect to receive it, as it must be received before funding could begin. Funding can begin as early as July 1, 2021 or as late as December 1, 2021.

4. Project/Research Title

Your title should not exceed 200 characters (including spaces).

5. Project/Research Abstract

Your abstract should not exceed 1,000 characters (including spaces).

6. Project/Research Description

Upload a comprehensive yet concise statement, written by the applicant, not to exceed eight single-spaced pages of the plans for research, education, and training in the selected discipline. 

This should include an introductory page outlining how this project addresses the following questions. The answer to each question may not exceed two sentences.

1. How will this project advance the methods used in the field of health outcomes research?
2. What is the key challenge for this topic and how will your proposal address it?
3. How will the completion of your project bring value to society?
4. Are appropriate measures in place to assure compliance with patient privacy and security? Please explain.

The remaining seven pages of your plan should include: a research plan, the mentor’s research record, as well as a description of how the mentoring experience will enhance the applicant’s career development in Health Outcomes Research. Applicants should use a format similar to the format specified for grants submitted to the National Institutes of Health, including a description of the objective(s), the rationale, methods of approach, and a bibliography of major references (bibliographies are not included in the page limit). Preliminary results, if any, should also be included. A project timeline is suggested. The first use of any abbreviation or acronym should be preceded by the full name or description or included in a footnote.

The Advisory Review Committee will review and evaluate health outcomes research proposals that are directly or indirectly related to pharmaceutical interventions as well as to assess the quality of the proposed research and whether the proposed environment — where the applicant will be carrying out their research — provides additional education and/or training opportunities necessary to support them. It is essential that that the application includes documentation stating that proper guidance and available departmental support will be in place to ensure training in the techniques and principles required to carry out the proposed research. The proposal must document the approval of all departments in which the candidate will train via letters from chairs or mentors in these departments, or from appropriate personnel if the proposal includes an experiential rotation in an industrial research laboratory.

Required type specifications: U.S. letter size 8.5” x 11” / .5” margin / 12-point font (figures may be provided in a smaller font). Submissions that do not meet the specified guidelines for proposal preparation will be considered non-responsive and will not be considered for funding.

7. Transcripts

Please upload unofficial copies of your undergraduate and graduate transcripts. 

8. Other Sources of Funding

Upload other support this project receives. If it does not receive other support, upload a document stating “No other support has been received or is pending.”

Other support includes all financial resources, whether Federal, non-Federal, commercial or institutional, available in direct support of an individual’s research endeavors, including but not limited to research grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and/or institutional awards. Training awards, prizes, or gifts do not need to be included.

Information required:

• Project Number 
• Principal Investigator
• Source of Support
• Title of the project (or sub-project)
• Start / End Dates (if Pending, date of notification)
• Amount
• Your Role
• Is the funding for research or stipend support or combination, in which case, how is it split
• Explain any overlap with your proposed project

9. Budget

This award is solely to be used for your stipend. Please enter your anticipated start and end date. If your institution is supplementing the award in order to be consistent with other postdoctoral fellowships it offers, please attach a “budget justification” providing details.

10. Career Publications

Up to three relevant authored publications should be uploaded.

11. References

Please note that the system will not accept your application unless the letters of support from your references have been successfully uploaded.

You are required to submit contact information for the following personnel.

• Department Chair (a.k.a. program director, center director, institute director, etc.)
• Sponsor (The person who mentors and authorizes your work in the lab / If the department chair is also your sponsor, only enter their information once. Be sure to ask them to address the requested information from both perspectives as listed below.)
• General Reference(s) (1-3) who are familiar with you and your scientific career

Once you add their name and contact information to your application, an auto-generated email will be forwarded to them. The email will include instructions as to what they should address in their letter of support and it will provide a personalized hyperlink where they should upload their letter. 

We suggest you inform your references in advance of what items should be addressed in their letter of support. See below:

Department Chair (a.k.a. program director, center director, institute director, etc.) should provide:

• Information as to the mechanisms by which the department supports health outcomes research.
• Assessment of the applicant and proposed project.

Sponsor should provide:

• Brief biographical sketch (their biosketch and letter should be uploaded as one PDF.)
• Assessment of the applicant and proposed project.
• The Sponsor must describe how the multidisciplinary goals of the proposed work will be accomplished and provide assurance that key collaborating mentors endorse and are willing to support the proposed research (which requires their letters of commitment as well).
• Information describing how the department will support the applicant (e.g., funding, space, etc.).
• Information describing the relevant education/training background of the applicant.
• Information on the training program in health outcomes research, including current activities and experience.
• If the applicant does not have a formal background in health outcomes research, the Sponsor must describe how the applicant will obtain such training as a postdoctoral student (e.g. a class, part of a project, etc.). The mechanism and assessment to establish successful training of the applicant must be made clear.
• The Sponsor should confirm the applicant’s current source of financial support for the proposed project and any pending applications for stipend support should be provided. If none are pending, this should be stated.

General Reference(s) should provide:

• Contact information
• Assessment of the applicant
• General references who are connected to an applicant’s project should explain their roles and responsibilities regarding the project.

REMEMBER to begin your application early so your references have ample time to meet the February 1^st deadline.

It is your responsibility to see that these letters are uploaded. The application portal will permit you to review your application and the status of your letters of support before your final submission. Be sure to check it frequently and do not wait until the last minute.

The application portal will not permit the application to be submitted until the letters of support have been uploaded.

Application deadline is February 1, 2021 @ 11:59 EST. Late submissions will not be accepted.

NOTE

Submissions that do not meet the specified guidelines for proposal preparation will be considered non-responsive and will not be considered for funding.

Award notification is April 15, 2021.

The PhRMA Foundation does not provide written reviews.

2021 Health Outcomes Research Brochure

The application portal will be open in late December 2020.   The deadline to submit an application including all letters of support (to be uploaded by the authors) is  deadline is February 1, 2021 @ 11:59 PM EST.