Drug Discovery

Award Aims

• To encourage progress in drug discovery research through the provision of well-trained investigators.
• To support students in advanced stages of training and thesis research in drug discovery research.
• The goal of the program is to assist in the candidate’s predoctoral training. Predoctoral Fellowships should not be seen as a way to fund the principal investigator’s currently funded research project.

Eligibility & Requirements

• Students just starting graduate school should not apply.
• Applicants (U.S. and non-U.S. citizens) must attend a U.S. university as full-time, in-residence students.
• The department chair’s letter of support is expected to verify the applicant’s doctoral candidacy.
• Eligible candidates will have completed most of their pre-thesis requirements (at least two years of coursework) and be engaged in thesis research as PhD candidates by the time the award is activated.
• Predoctoral Fellowships are designed for students who expect to complete their PhD requirements in two years or less from the time the fellowship begins.
• Fellows are expected to devote full time (including summers) to their research.
• Award activation can begin as early as January 1, 2022 or as late as August 1, 2022.
• An individual may not simultaneously hold or interrupt any other fellowship providing stipend support while the PhRMA Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship is active. If other funding becomes available, the PhRMA Foundation must be notified.
• The awards may not be used to supplement funds from other fellowships, traineeships, or assistantships, unless necessary to make stipend levels compliant with institutional policy.
• Funds may not be used for tuition, fringe benefits or indirect costs to the institution.
• The goal of the program is to assist in the candidate’s predoctoral training.
• Predoctoral Fellowships should not be seen as a way to fund the principal investigator’s currently funded research project.
• If multiple applicants are submitting proposed efforts on the same project, the efforts must be separate activities. They may not be duplicative. We will not consider multiple applications for the same or similar efforts on the same project. This pertains to submissions from all three categories of our programs within Drug Discovery. The applications will be disqualified.

 

Funding

• This award provides $25,000 in stipend support year for 12, 18 or 24 months. To receive funding beyond the first year you must submit a satisfactory progress report to the advisory committee for review before the start of your second year of funding. In addition, applicants must provide a letter from their thesis adviser, confirming that satisfactory progress is being made.
• This award 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 predoctoral fellowships it currently offers. (Please upload a “Stipend Justification” explaining whether the stipend is to be supplemented and the amount.)
• An individual may not simultaneously hold or interrupt any other fellowship/funding mechanism providing stipend support while the PhRMA Foundation Fellowship is active. If other funding becomes available, the PhRMA Foundation must be notified.
• Payments will be made directly to the university on a quarterly basis.
• Up to $1,000 per year may be used for incidentals directly associated with thesis research preparation (i.e. secretarial help, artwork, books, etc.)
• The program provides no other subsidies (i.e. travel, tuition, fringe benefits, etc.)
• PhRMA Foundation funds may not be used for indirect costs to the university.
• Awards may be activated beginning January 1, 2022 or on the first day of any month thereafter, up to and including August 1, 2022.
• 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 within sixty days of the fellowship’s conclusion.
• 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.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply for a PhRMA Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship in Drug Discovery, applicants must submit a letter of intent, due May 20, 2021 @ 11:59 PM EST. Those whose submissions are selected will be notified by July 1, 2021 and asked to complete a full application.

To start a Letter of Intent, go to the proposalCENTRAL website at https://proposalcentral.com/. If you are a new user of proposalCENTRAL, follow the “CREATE ONE 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 a Letter of Intent, 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 Predoctoral Fellowship in Drug Discovery Program to create your Letter of Intent.

Letter of Intent Process (Step 1) 

Letter of Intent

The letter of intent, written by the applicant, should not exceed two single-spaced pages (U.S. letter size 8.5” x 11” / .5” margin / 12-point font).

The first page of the LOI, should answer the following three questions (1-5 sentences per answer):

• What is the innovative component of your project?
• How will this proposal advance the field?
• What are the challenges in the field you are actually solving?

The second page is your proposed project. It should be written in a style and format that is similar to the NIH specific aim page (project synopsis to include how the project is novel, innovative, cutting edge across disciplines, and showing how the impact of the project may move science forward, etc.) The first use of any abbreviation or acronym should be preceded by the full name or description.

Projects that integrate cutting-edge scientific drug discovery approaches will be favored.

Proposals which focus exclusively on development of assays, target identification, chemical probes, biomarkers or diagnostics will not be responsive and will not be reviewed.

This proposal should be written by the applicant and submission of this document will serve as verification that it has been written by the student.

Those whose submissions are selected will be notified by July 1, 2021 and asked to complete a full application. Full applications are due September 1, 2021 @ 11:59 PM EDT, including letters of support. 

Full Application Components (Step 2)

Following are the items required if you are invited to submit a full application.

1. Extended Letter
We want to know our applicants. 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″ / .5″ margin / 12-point font).

2. Applicant’s NIH biosketch

3. Project Title (maximum of 200 characters – entered directly into proposalCENTRAL)

4. Project Summary / Abstract (maximum of 2,000 characters – entered directly into proposalCENTRAL)

5. Thesis Project Description

The student must add an introductory page to their project description addressing the following questions. The answer to each question may not exceed five sentences.

1. What is the innovative component of your project?
2. How will this proposal advance the field?
3. What are the challenges in the field you are you actually solving?

The student’s detailed description of the thesis project should be written by the applicant and include objectives, rationale, methods of approach, preliminary results (if any exist), and a bibliography of major references. The first use of any abbreviation or acronym should be preceded by the full name or description. This statement (not including the introductory page and bibliography) should not exceed six single-spaced pages.

Projects that integrate cutting-edge scientific drug discovery approaches will be favored.

Applications which focus exclusively on development of assays, target identification, chemical probes, biomarkers or diagnostics will not be responsive and will not be reviewed.

Applicants should use a format similar to the format specified for grants submitted to the National Institutes of Health. Required type specifications: U.S. letter size 8.5” x 11” / .5” margin / 12-point font (figures may be provided in a smaller font).

This proposal should be written by the applicant and submission of this document will serve as verification that it has been written by the student.

6. Transcripts

Applicants are required to upload their academic transcripts and GRE/MCAT results (if applicable). Unofficial copies are acceptable.

If you did not take GRE or MCAT, please state this in your extended letter as a postscript (P.S.).

7. Budget

This award is to be used for your stipend (up to $1,000 per year may be used for incidentals directly associated with your thesis preparation). Please enter your anticipated start and end date. If your institution is supplementing the award in order to be consistent with other predoctoral fellowships it offers, please attached a “budget justification” providing details.

8. 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.)
• Thesis Advisor (If the department chair is also your thesis advisor, 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. Letters of support should be uploaded before September 1 so you can submit your application before 11:59 PM ET.

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:

• Contact information.
• Department’s mission statement and confirmation that the department provides training in drug discovery.
• Assessment of applicant and proposed research, as well as, confirming their doctoral candidacy. If it’s pending, please note the anticipate date of doctoral candidacy.

Thesis Advisor should provide:

• Contact information and a brief biographical sketch.
• Assessment of the applicant and proposed research.
• Thesis Advisor’s history of training / mentoring and a description of the facilities.
• Additional financial support that will be available to the candidate.
• How many trainees will be supervised during the candidate’s training period.
• List of research support, including current and pending grants, total amounts and duration. Because the fellowship grants no research funds, this information is necessary in order to enable further perspective on evaluating the resources available for thesis research.
• Information to demonstrate the department’s focus on the discipline, and specifically state that the department is responsible for the training at the institution.
• The Thesis Advisor must upload a detailed training plan as a separate document when submitting their letter of support. (Although the training plan is a separate document, it should be combined with their letter of support into one document for uploading into the application portal.)

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 September 1 deadline.

It is your responsibility 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 September 1, 2021 @ 11:59 EDT. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Preference is for NIH style biosketches.

Please note the PhRMA Foundation does not provide written reviews.

 Award notification is December 15, 2021.

Click here for 2022 Drug Discovery brochure.

Letters of intent are due May 20, 2021.