Program

The purpose of the PhRMA Foundation Research Starter Grants is to offer financial support to individuals beginning their independent research careers at the faculty level. The program provides a research grant of $60,000 for one year. This program supports individuals beginning independent research careers in academia who do not have other substantial sources of research.

This program is not offered as a means to augment substantially funded research efforts. It is intended to offer support for researchers who are starting their independent research efforts.

Health Outcomes

Outcomes research spans a broad spectrum of issues from studies evaluating the effectiveness of a particular pharmaceutical intervention to the impact of reimbursement policies on the outcomes of care. It also ranges from the development and use of tools to perform patient-based assessments to analyses of the best way to disseminate the results of outcomes research to providers or consumers to encourage behavior change.

Outcomes research incorporates a variety of research methods from various disciplines. The application of outcomes research principles in evaluating the design, delivery, and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals includes the following general areas:

Burden of disease
Compliance/Adherence
Cost Consequences Analysis
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Cost Utility Analysis
Health Outcomes Research
Health Related Quality of Life
Patient satisfaction
Patient preferences
Pharmacoeconomics
Patient reported Outcomes
Psychometric Evaluation of Questionnaires (e.g. reliability, validity etc.)
Research methods
Symptom Measures
Tolerability

Pharmacoeconomics

Pharmacoeconomics involves evaluation of the behavior of individuals, organizations, and markets relevant to the use of pharmaceutical products, services, and programs. The discipline frequently focuses on the cost (inputs) and consequence (outcomes) of the use of pharmaceuticals.

Patient Reported Outcomes

Patient Reported Outcomes deals with the value assigned to duration of life as modified by the impairment of physical, social, and psychological functional states, perceptions, and opportunities that are influenced by disease, injury, treatment, or policy. In this context, the field is also known as health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

The "starter" aspect of the program strives to assist those individuals who are establishing careers as independent investigators in the field of health outcomes. The program is not offered as a means to augment an ongoing research effort nor is the grant intended to be used for any direct effort to obtain further extramural funding. The funds are to be used to conduct the proposed research.

Funds are generally unrestricted, with flexibility of use - a characteristic of the program. In an effort to gain the maximum usefulness, some guidelines are in order. Funds may be used to support technical assistance; however they may not be used for the salary support of the investigator/grantee. No more than $500 a year may be used for travel to professional meetings by the grantee. Indirect costs are not provided to the institution, and grant funds may not be used for this purpose. These funds are not transferable.

Applications should be submitted through the foundation website by October 1, 2010. Applications will not be accepted after the deadline date.

Applications, however good, which do not meet the aims of the program will be disapproved.

Eligibility

Those holding the academic rank of instructor or assistant professor and investigators at the doctoral level with equivalent positions are eligible to apply for these research starter grants, providing their proposed research is neither directly nor indirectly subsidized to any significant degree by an extramural support mechanism. The program is not intended for those in postdoctoral training programs. However, individuals in postdoctoral training scheduled to conclude and who will hold an academic appointment by January 1, 2011 may apply. Applicants must be sponsored by the department or unit within which the proposed research is to be undertaken. The grant is made to the university on behalf of the applicant and with the understanding that the university will administer the funds. Schools of medicine, pharmacy, public health, nursing, dentistry and schools of other areas where appropriate are eligible for this award.

This award is granted in part based on need. If an individual currently has or is guaranteed substantial funding, they should not apply.

Applications must be submitted by an accredited school in the U.S., and all applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Applicants will be judged on the scientific worthiness of the proposed research, and on the degree of need. If support is obtained after the application has been submitted, the Foundation must be so informed.

Before an individual is eligible to apply for a PhRMA Foundation award, the applicant must first have a firm commitment from a U.S. university.

These grants will begin on January 1, 2011 for a period of 1 year.