Health Outcomes Research

AWARD AIMS

To offer financial support to individuals beginning independent research careers in health outcomes research at the faculty level.

 

ELIGIBILITY

• Applicants (U.S. and non-U.S. citizens) attending U.S. schools of medicine, pharmacy, public health, nursing, and dentistry are eligible for this award. Candidates from research institutions are eligible to apply providing the institution is involved in training and education programs.
• Those holding academic of assistant professor (or research assistant professor) within a tenure (or research) track appointment, or instructor, are eligible to apply for research starter grants, providing their proposed research is neither directly nor indirectly subsidized to any significant degree by an extramural support mechanism.[1]
• Eligible candidates will not have other substantial sources of research funding. Individuals receiving only intramural funding or start-up funding from their institution are eligible to apply for this award.
• The applicant must be eligible to apply for independent external research funding by their institution.
• The letter of support from the Department Chair (or equivalent) must confirm that the applicant has dedicated laboratory space and research independence.
• Funds must be used to conduct the proposed research.
• If other funding becomes available during the grant, the PhRMA Foundation must be notified.
• This program is not intended for individuals in postdoctoral training. However, those enrolled in postdoctoral training programs scheduled to conclude by the start of the funding are eligible to apply.
• Awards may be activated beginning July 1, 2022 or on the first day of any month thereafter, up to and including December 1, 2022.
• The health outcomes research committee reviews health outcomes research proposals that are directly or indirectly related to pharmaceutical interventions.
• If multiple applicants from the same lab 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 health outcomes research. The applications will be disqualified.

 

[1] Exceptions require written support from the department chair stating this funding would promote the instructor into a regular tenure or research track appointment, with the opportunity for promotion within the track.

Please contact the PhRMA Foundation if you have questions regarding eligibility at foundation@phrma.org.

FUNDING

• The Research Starter Grant in Health Outcomes Research provides funding of $100,000 for one year.
• Funding is conditional upon award recipient’s continued employment with the institution which will be assessed on a quarterly basis prior to payment.
• The grant is paid to the institution with the understanding that they will administer the funds.
• The funds have limited restrictions – a characteristic of the program.
• Funds may be budgeted to include salary support for the awardee but should not exceed 25% of the budget. Funds may not be used to provide fringe benefits or indirect costs.
• Funds may be budgeted to include the support of a technician or graduate student at an hourly rate. The funds may not be used to provide tuition, fringe benefits or indirect costs for said personnel.
• Within the $100,000 grant, up to $1,500 per year may be used for travel to professional meetings by the awardee.
• The funds may be used to purchase equipment and/or data to support the research efforts.
• These funds are not transferable.
• Funding may begin as early as July 1, 2022 or on the first day of any month thereafter, up to and including December 1, 2022.
• Unspent funds are to be returned to the PhRMA Foundation upon the grant’s conclusion.
• Any changes to the proposed research must be approved by the PhRMA Foundation.

APPLICATION COMPONENTS

Application deadline for all materials (applications and letters of support) is February 10, 2022 @ 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 Research Starter Grant in Health Outcomes Research to create your Application.

1. Applicant CV or Biosketch (should be NIHor NSF format)
2. Extended Letter

We want to know our applicants. This is an opportunity for you 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).

3. Project/Research Title

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

4. Project/Research Abstract

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

5. Project/Research Plan

Upload a comprehensive yet concise statement, written by the applicant, not to exceed nine single-spaced pages.

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. 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 eight pages of your plan should include: objectives and specific aims, background, significance, and rationale. Preliminary studies, as well as results (if available), should be included. Detail the research design and methodology. Applicants should use a format similar to the format specified for grants submitted to the National Institutes of Health.

A bibliography of major references should be provided (bibliographies are not included in the page limit). The first use of any abbreviation or acronym should be preceded by the full name or description.

Clearly identify other principals involved as collaborators in the project, the amount of time they will commit, and the amount of time you will commit. List by titles the funded research projects of each principal, the portion of time committed, and the amount and source of funds for these projects. (This is outside of the page limit and should be uploaded as a separate attachment titled “Collaborators”.)

Identify the amount of intramural support available for the proposed project, and other research efforts by budget categories and amounts. If the school makes the services of a technician available to the candidate, note this. Identify the part of the proposal that will be directly initiated or expedited by the PhRMA Foundation’s funds.

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

The committee places considerable emphasis on the quality of the research and training proposal. In describing the research and training plan, it is essential to document that guidance and departmental support will be available to ensure proper training in the techniques and principles of the specified area. 

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. Budget

Enter your budget explaining how the funds will be used. If you need to add further explanation, please add an attachment titled “Budget Justification.”

8. Other Sources of Funding

Upload other support you may receive. If you do 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. Career Publications

Upload up to three relevant articles you have published.

10. 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 (minimum of 3 and maximum of 5 references)

• Department Chair (a.k.a. program director, center director, institute director, etc.)
• Collaborator(s) if any
• General Reference(s) 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:

• Assessment of the applicant and proposed research, and their education in the discipline.
• Describe explicitly the support the department will provide to the applicant (e.g., funding, space, etc.) and include how the department supports health outcomes research.
• Include information on the applicant’s current source of support and any pending applications for other support including stipend support. If none are pending, please state this.
• If your department has a training grant, please note if it is limited to a specific area and the area on which the grant focuses. Indicate how many graduate students are in the department and how many are supported by the training grant.

 Collaborator(s) (if applicable) should provide:

• Collaborators need to acknowledge their commitment, participation, and enthusiasm in the project.
• They should include their biosketch (Remind them to combine their letter and biosketch into a single PDF. The link only accepts one attachment.)

General Reference(s) should provide:

• 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 10th 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 10, 2022 @ 11:59 EST. Late submissions will not be accepted.

 

NOTE

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

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, 2022.

The PhRMA Foundation does not provide written reviews.

 

2022 Health Outcomes Research Brochure

The deadline to submit an application including all letters of support (to be uploaded by the authors) is deadline is February 10, 2022 @ 11:59 PM EST.