Translational Medicine and Therapeutics
Application Deadline: February 1, 2018
“Translational medicine and therapeutics is a discipline focused on bridging experimental and computational research and discoveries to their application in clinical practice. To be successful, this requires working with clinicians to identify critical unmet clinical needs. Examples of research components include activities in molecular and cellular biology, pathophysiology, systems biology, bioinformatics, modeling and simulation, and other quantitative sciences to connect basic biological concepts and entities to directly address such unmet medical needs. Clinical observation becomes the basis for hypothesis generation to further basic research and to efficiently advance the product of basic research to patients.”
The goal of the PhRMA Foundation’s Translational Medicine and Therapeutics Program is to promote the development and use of experimental and computational methods in an integrative approach towards clinical needs in diagnosis, treatment and prevention. The Foundation believes that to be successful, this requires working with clinicians to identify critical unmet clinical needs.
This can involve enhanced understanding of human biological and disease processes but requires a strong translational component. This program will support the concepts of Translational Medicine and Therapeutics.
Translational Medicine and Therapeutics awards will advance training and support career development of scientists engaged in research that significantly addresses specific clinician-defined problems and integrates innovative technologies with advanced biological, chemical, and pharmacological sciences and engineering methodologies in areas such as:
- Genetics (Molecular, Pharmaco-, Population, Medical)
- Genomics (Functional, Structural, Toxico-, Pharmaco-, Comparative)
- Systems (Biology and Pharmacology)
- Pathways and Networks
- Integrative Biology
- Modeling and Simulation Target Identification and Validation
- Biomarker Discovery and Validation
- Vaccine Development
- Molecular Epidemiology
- Imaging
- Disease Modeling
Program Priorities
- Emphasis will be placed on the identification of clinician-defined unmet clinical needs and the development of new experimental and computational approaches and technologies that facilitate the translation of research data into an elucidation and understanding of human biological and disease processes to directly support their solution.
- Preference will be given to those applicants whose research identifies unmet clinical need and combines novel experimental and computational methods together with actual clinical validation.
- For applications to be considered, proposal must contain evidence of collaboration across the non-clinical:clinical interface and not solely apply experimental and computational methodologies to data generation and analysis without clinical validation.
- The use of non-human model systems, not involving human tissue, must be described in terms of its relationship to human biology and disease including its limitations and advantages, and the results of such studies are required to involve clinical testing in support of the model.
Aims
- To support individuals engaged in multidisciplinary/collaborative research training programs that will extend their credentials in Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (TMT).
- To provide stipend support for individuals preparing to engage in research that will bridge the gap between clinical need and research directed towards addressing these needs.
- To support research that can readily translate into positively impacting patients and physicians.
Eligibility & Requirements
- Eligible candidates will have doctoral degrees, e.g., Ph.D., D.Sc., D.Eng., M.D., and seek to further develop and refine their skills and understanding of TMT through post doctoral training.
- 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 the applicant’s career development in TMT. A key component of TMT involves collaborative programs that span non-clinical and clinical domains, potentially involving multiple laboratories, advisers, and institutions.
- All applicants must have a firm commitment from an accredited U.S. university or research institution.
- All applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
This award provides $60,000 in stipend support per year for one or two years.
Payments will be made directly to the university on a quarterly basis.
The award 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. If the stipend is to be supplemented, indicate the amount. If no supplement is intended, so state this.
The program provides no other subsidies (travel, tuition, fringe benefit costs, etc.).
PhRMA Foundation funds may not be used for indirect costs to the university.
These funds may only be considered transferable if the training program requires the postdoctoral candidate to be formally trained at a collaborating institution where such a transfer would be required and can be documented.
A financial report from the university will be required at the conclusion of each year of the fellowship.
Post Doctoral Fellowship Application Checklist
Please make a copy of this list to reference during the application process, as incomplete applications will not be considered.
- General Registration Information
- Applicant CV or Biosketch
- 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 (12-point font). - Research Plan [1]
The applicant must prepare a comprehensive statement, not to exceed eight single-spaced pages (12-point font), of the plans for research, education, and training in the selected discipline. 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 Translational Medicine and Therapeutics Advisory Committee will review each application to assess the quality of the proposed research, as well as the proposed education and training. Therefore, documentation stating proper guidance and departmental support will be available to ensure training in the techniques and principles of the area is essential. 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. - Research Abstract
Submit a titled abstract of approximately 200 words concerning your proposed research plan. - Transcripts
Unofficial copies of graduate transcripts should be scanned and uploaded along with the application. Arrange to have official hard copies sent to the PhRMA Foundation at 950 F Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20004 by the deadline.
Without these transcripts, the application will be considered incomplete. Do not upload secure PDFs, as our reviewers will be unable to open the attachments.
- Budget
Provide a budget and list any other funding this project receives. - Department Chair Information and Letter of Reference
The chair should provide contact information.
Please confirm that your department is responsible for the training in this discipline and describe explicitly the support the department will provide to the candidate.
The reference letter should include an assessment of the applicant and proposed research. Information on the applicant’s current source of support and any pending applications for stipend support should be provided. If none are pending, please state this. - Sponsor’s Information and Letter of Reference
The sponsor should provide contact information and a biosketch.
The reference letter should include an assessment of the candidate and proposed research. - Information and Letters of Reference from Up to Three Other Individuals Familiar with Your Scientific Career
Reprints
Copies of relevant articles published by the applicant should be uploaded to the application.
Letters and third-party materials should not be uploaded by the applicant. The application system will request contact information, including an email address, for your chair, thesis advisor, and additional reference. These individuals will receive a prompt from the system with instructions for uploading their document(s), which will be appended to the application.
Based on our policy, we do not provide written reviews.
[1] Submission of this plan is assurance that the research proposal has been written primarily by the applicant.
Click here for the 2018 Translational Medicine and Therapeutics Brochure.
Applications will be accepted after January 1, 2018 and are due no later than February 1, 2018.
