Drug Discovery Faculty Starter Grant

Drug Discovery Faculty Starter Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Pharmaceutical Research And Manufacturers Of America Fnd Inc (PhRMA)
Amount: US $100,000
Last Updated: March 03, 2026

Summary

The Drug Discovery Faculty Starter Grant, offered by the PhRMA Foundation, supports early-career researchers in drug discovery at U.S. universities. With a funding amount of $100,000 for one year, this grant is targeted at faculty members within five years of their independent status. The program aims to foster innovative research that integrates various scientific disciplines, ultimately leading to novel treatments for patients. Eligibility extends to full-time faculty members eligible for promotion.

Overview

PhRMA Foundation Mission The PhRMA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that fosters biopharmaceutical innovation and value-driven health care by investing in the frontiers of research. The Foundation catalyzes the careers of promising researchers through competitive, peer-reviewed grants and fellowships in the fields of drug delivery, drug discovery, translational medicine, and value assessment and health outcomes research. Vision A healthier world where all people have access to innovative, life-changing medicines. Values Integrity: We strive to be scientifically independent and evidence-based in our decision-making.Innovation: We invest in cutting-edge research and ideas that will improve patient health.Collaboration: We support collaborative research efforts that are diverse and inclusive. Drug Discovery Faculty Starter Grant The PhRMA Foundation Faculty Starter Grant in Drug Discovery offers financial support to individuals beginning independent careers in drug discovery research at the faculty level at an accredited U.S. university. Applicants must be within the first five years of their independent status. Program Goals Research topics could include, but are not limited to: Cellular and Molecular BiologyDesign and Generation of Pharmacological ToolsIn Vitro and/or In Vivo PharmacologyProtein BiochemistryMolecular ModellingStructural BiologyCell ImagingSingle Cell AnalysisArtificial Intelligence and Computational Approaches Projects that focus exclusively on single aspects such as identification of and development of assays for single targets, chemical probes, biomarkers, chemical library screening, or diagnostics will not be considered for review. Project aims should have a high likelihood of completion in the award timeframe. Funding The PhRMA Foundation Faculty Starter Grant in Drug Discovery Targets and Pathways provides funding of $100,000 for one year. Funding is conditional upon the awardee’s continued employment with the university, which will be assessed on a quarterly basis prior to payment. Awardees are required to notify the PhRMA Foundation if they leave the university. Payments will be made directly to the university on behalf of the awardee, with the understanding the university will administer the funds.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applicants (U.S. and non-U.S. citizens) must be full-time, promotion-eligible, research-intensive faculty at a PhD and/or MS degree-granting accredited U.S. university by the time of award activation. Awards may be activated between January 1, 2025, and August 1, 2025.Applicants who have taken leave from their career (e.g., parenting of a child, childbirth, long-term care of a parent/spouse/child/dependent, personal health issues) that puts them outside of the eligibility time frame can reach out to PhRMA Foundation staff ahead of their LOI submission to determine their eligibility. The Foundation aims to be flexible and adjust these time frames if appropriate.Applicants must be eligible to apply for independent external research funding by their university. Applicants should not have other substantial sources of research funding. For example, applicants are ineligible if they are the principal investigator of an R01 from the National Institutes of Health, a career award from the National Science Foundation, or other significant financial award from any grant-making institution.) Individuals receiving only intramural funding or start-up funding from their university are eligible to apply.

Ineligibility

You are not eligible if your faculty status began before January 1, 2022.Applicants are ineligible if they are the principal investigator of an R01 from the National Institutes of Health or a career award from the National Science Foundation.The Foundation will not consider multiple applications for similar efforts on the same project. For instance, if a predoc, postdoc, and faculty member from the same lab are all submitting applications for proposed efforts on the same project, the efforts must be separate activities and not duplicative.Funds may not be used for salary support of the awardee, fringe benefits, or indirect costs.The funds may not be used to provide tuition, fringe benefits, or indirect costs for technician, graduate student, or postdoctoral fellow. Said personnel may not be an active award recipient of the PhRMA Foundation.