Applicant FAQs
Through our grant and fellowship programs, the PhRMA Foundation aims to support the next generation of researchers who will work in the industry, become academic partners to industry, and train the workforce upon which the biopharmaceutical industry relies. By funding primarily predoctoral, postdoctoral, and early-career faculty members, we are building a diverse talent pipeline to generate future research discoveries while also helping promising researchers advance their careers.
The PhRMA Foundation offers predoctoral fellowships, postdoctoral fellowships, and faculty starter grants, as well as some limited grants and awards for more senior researchers. We offer funding opportunities in four research areas: value assessment and health outcomes research, drug discovery, drug delivery, and translational medicine.
The PhRMA Foundation does not fund unsolicited proposals or requests for funding of any kind.
Annually, the PhRMA Foundation provides approximately $3 million in grant and fellowship awards. Learn more about out History & Impact.
To learn more about how to apply for PhRMA Foundation grant and fellowship programs, visit the Application Process page. The PhRMA Foundation uses ProposalCentral for application submissions; program deadlines and guidelines are also listed there.
The PhRMA Foundation letter of intent deadline for the Drug Discovery, Drug Delivery, and Translational Medicine programs is in the spring. Based on committee review, some applicants are then invited to submit full applications over the summer. Awards are announced in December.
The Value Assessment and Health Outcomes Research (VA-HOR) Program runs on a different timeline. This program does not use an LOI process. Applications are due in the fall, and awards are announced by March. Please visit the program page for specific research areas of interest or ProposalCentral for program-specific deadlines.
Each program has a Scientific Advisory Committee comprised of experts in their respective fields from industry and academia. These experts discuss and score the applications and select which to fund.
The PhRMA Foundation informs applicants by email through ProposalCentral whether or not they have been selected to receive an award. Formal award notification is followed by a congratulatory letter from the Foundation’s president.
The PhRMA Foundation provides limited, general feedback to most applicants.
Because the Foundation provides the award money to the awardee’s institution to distribute to the awardee, both award recipients and their institution must return a signed agreement to the Foundation. They must also confirm Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval if applicable. Annual progress and financial reports are required.
Award recipients must acknowledge PhRMA Foundation funding in publications and presentations related to awarded projects. Awardees also consent to submit photos and research summaries for use on the Foundation’s website, social media, and other communications channels to promote their Foundation-funded research.
Applicants may only submit to one PhRMA Foundation program each funding cycle.
Individuals who have previously received a PhRMA Foundation award may apply for other PhRMA Foundation grant programs for which they are eligible as their careers progress.
Prior PhRMA Foundation funding does not advantage or disadvantage the applicant in a subsequent application cycle. All grant and fellowship applications are judged on their merit by each program’s Scientific Advisory Committee. Furthermore, unsuccessful applicants are welcome to improve their proposals and resubmit, if the applicant is still eligible.
