Drug Discovery Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant

Funder: Pharmaceutical Research And Manufacturers Of America Fnd Inc (PhRMA)

The Drug Discovery Postdoctoral Fellowship by the PhRMA Foundation supports researchers in a multidisciplinary training program at accredited U.S. universities. Aimed at enhancing credentials in drug discovery, it funds innovative research with potential human applications. Proposals should focus on biological validation of drug targets across various scientific disciplines. The fellowship provides $60,000 in annual stipend support for up to 24 months, contingent on the awardee's continued employment at the university.

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.
The PhRMA Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in Drug Discovery supports individuals (U.S. and non-U.S. citizens) engaged in a multidisciplinary, collaborative research training program at an accredited U.S. university that will extend their credentials in drug discovery research.
Program Goals
Drug discovery involves the innovative application and integration of multiple scientific disciplines to create efficacious, safe, and differentiated treatment options for patients. The PhRMA Foundation seeks to fund novel early-stage, drug discovery research with a clear potential for translation to humans. Proposals should focus on biological validation of potential drug targets, such as molecular targets, targetable pathways, or targetable systems.
Research areas could include, but are not limited to:
Cellular and Molecular BiologyDesign and Generation of Pharmacological Tools In Vitro and/or In Vivo Pharmacology Protein Biochemistry Molecular Modelling Structural Biology and Computational Structural BiologyBiomedical Imaging (e.g., cellular)Single Cell Analysis (e.g., CRISPR screens) Spatial Omics Artificial Intelligence (AI) 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. Studies considered exploratory in nature should contain a rigor and reproducibility plan.
Proposals that involve AI approaches (i.e., data-driven ML/DL) should clearly document and reference the methodology, explain the data curation process (sources, quality, quantity), and discuss the wet lab validation process. Expected pitfalls and alternative strategies should be described as well.
Funding
Funding is conditional upon the awardee’s continued employment with the university in the postdoctoral program, which will be assessed on a quarterly basis prior to payment. Payments will be made directly to the university on behalf of the awardee, with the understanding the university will administer the funds. This award is intended solely as a stipend and may not be used otherwise.

Eligibility

Applicants (U.S. and non-U.S. citizens) must be based at a PhD and/or MS degree-granting accredited U.S. university.Applicants have a firm commitment from a research supervisor or sponsor at their university.Applicants must hold a PhD, PharmD, MD, or appropriate terminal research doctorate. If you do not hold one at the time of application submission, please state in your extended letter when you expect to receive it, as it must be received before funding can begin. Funding can begin as early as January 1, 2026, or as late as August 1, 2026.You are not eligible if your doctoral degree was granted before January 1, 2023.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 necessary and appropriate.Applicants currently funded on an institutional training grant (e.g., NIH TL1, T32, T90, or T35 awards or a nonprofit/professional society equivalent) may apply if they state they will forgo the institutional training slot if funded by a PhRMA Foundation postdoctoral award.Applicants are ineligible if they are the recipient of an NIH K99/R00 award or NIH-F award.An individual may not simultaneously hold another funding mechanism providing stipend support while the PhRMA Foundation postdoctoral fellowship is active. If necessary, the university may supplement the award to a level that is consistent with other postdoctoral fellowships it offers.Applicants who are applying for funds to support postdoctoral work in the laboratory where their graduate work was performed will be given lower preference. One of the objectives of this fellowship is to gain new skills, and therefore, an ideal candidate will be conducting their research in a new laboratory and not where their graduate work was performed.Only one postdoctoral applicant per lab may apply for this award. If multiple applicants apply, they will automatically be ineligible. Potential applicants and their mentor and/or lab managers should decide who should apply.

Ineligibility

You are not eligible if your doctoral degree was granted before January 1, 2022.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.PhRMA Foundation funds may not be used for tuition, fringe benefits, or indirect costs to the university.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.