Optimizing ATTR-CM Diagnosis and Care in Heart Failure Patients Quality Improvement Grant Program Request for Proposals

Overview

Pfizer’s Competitive Grants Program

Pfizer supports the global healthcare community’s independent initiatives (e.g., research, quality improvement or education) to improve patient outcomes in areas of unmet medical need that are aligned with Pfizer’s medical and/or scientific strategies.

Pfizer’s competitive grant program involves a publicly posted Request for Proposal (RFP) that provides detail regarding a specific area of interest and sets timelines for review and approval. Organizations are invited to submit an application addressing the specific gaps in research, practice or care as outlined in the specific RFP. The grant requester (and ultimately the grantee) is responsible for the design, implementation, sponsorship, and conduct of the independent initiative supported by the grant, including compliance with any regulatory requirements.

Optimizing ATTR-CM Diagnosis and Care in Heart Failure Patients Quality Improvement Grant Program Request for Proposals

Pfizer and American College of Cardiology are collaborating to offer a new grant opportunity seeking proposals for quality improvement initiatives that will increase identification and accurate diagnosis of heart failure patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM).

Grants will be awarded in support of organizations/institutions working to decrease delays in identification and diagnosis of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) due to it being underrecognized in a significant proportion of patients with heart failure.

For all quality improvement grants, the grant requester (and ultimately the grantee) is responsible for the design, implementation, and conduct of the independent initiative supported by the grant. Pfizer must not be involved in any aspect of project development, nor the conduct or monitoring of the quality improvement program.

Pfizer and ACC are jointly issuing this Request for Proposal (RFP). Grant funding will be provided directly from Pfizer. ACC will select the Expert Review Panel (ERP), create a community of practice for the selected Grantees and provide guidance in support of the success of the grant program.

Eligibility

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Application Details

Optimizing ATTR-CM Diagnosis and Care in Heart Failure Patients
Quality Improvement Grant Program
Request for Proposals
Introduction:
Pfizer and American College of Cardiology are collaborating to offer a new grant opportunity seeking
proposals for quality improvement initiatives that will increase identification and accurate diagnosis of
heart failure patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM).
American College of Cardiology
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is the global leader in transforming cardiovascular
care and improving heart health for all. As the preeminent source of professional medical
education for the entire cardiovascular care team since 1949, ACC credentials cardiovascular
professionals in over 140 countries who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation
of health policy, standards and guidelines. Through its world-renowned family of JACC Journals,
NCDR registries, ACC Accreditation Services, global network of Member Sections, CardioSmart
patient resources and more, the College is committed to ensuring a world where science,
knowledge and innovation optimize patient care and outcomes.
Pfizer
Pfizer Global Medical Grants & Partnerships (GMGP) supports the global healthcare
community’s independent initiatives (e.g., research, quality improvement or education) to
improve patient outcomes in areas of unmet medical need that are aligned with Pfizer’s medical
and/or scientific strategies.
Grants will be awarded in support of organizations/institutions working to decrease delays in
identification and diagnosis of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) due to it being
underrecognized in a significant proportion of patients with heart failure.
For all quality improvement grants, the grant requester (and ultimately the grantee) is responsible for
the design, implementation, and conduct of the independent initiative supported by the grant. Pfizer
must not be involved in any aspect of project development, nor the conduct or monitoring of the quality
improvement program.
Pfizer and ACC are jointly issuing this Request for Proposal (RFP). Grant funding will be provided
directly from Pfizer. ACC will select the Expert Review Panel (ERP), create a community of practice for
the selected Grantees and provide guidance in support of the success of the grant program.

I. Eligibility
Geographic Scope/Location of Project
• United States
Applicant Eligibility Criteria
• The following may apply: medical, nursing, allied health, and/or pharmacy professional schools;
healthcare institutions (both large and small); professional organizations; government agencies; and
other entities with a mission related to healthcare improvement.
• Only organizations are eligible to receive grants, not individuals or medical practice groups (i.e., an
independent group of physicians not affiliated with a hospital, academic institution, or professional
society).
• The applicant must be the Project Lead/Principal Investigator (PI) or an authorized designee of such
individual (e.g., Project Lead/PI’s grant/research coordinator).
• The Project Lead/PI must be an employee of the requesting organization.
II. Requirements
Date RFP Issued
• April 9, 2025
Clinical Area
• Care Management of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM)
Specific Area of Interest for this RFP
• Improve the capabilities for ATTR-CM identification and diagnosis among heart failure patients
with a preferred focus on hospitalized heart failure patients
• Reduce the time to correct diagnosis, among a broad audience of healthcare professionals,
including increasing coordination of care across specialties
• Define and implement interventions to improve the patient’s holistic management (e.g.
identification of ATTR-CM on first heart failure (HF) admission, post HF hospitalization
discharge management)
• Utilization of existing and sustainable AI & Digital Health tools to identify and diagnose ATTR
patients at risk for heart failure
• Defining and augmenting quality and performance measures for the screening, diagnosis
and/or post discharge management of heart failure patients with underlying ATTR-CM
It is not our intent to support clinical research projects. Projects evaluating the efficacy of therapeutic or diagnostic
agents will not be considered. Additional examples of out-of-scope projects include clinical research projects,
basic science research, prevalence studies, and registry development.
Target Audience
• Healthcare professionals (for example, nurses or pharmacists), medical specialists (Cardiologists,
Interventional Cardiologists, Internists, Hospitalists, Neurologists, Echocardiographers, Nuclear
Cardiologists, Primary Care Physicians, Geriatricians) and other healthcare professionals involved in
the care of patients with heart failure
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Expected Approximate Monetary Range of Grant Applications
• Individual projects requesting $75,000-$100,000 will be considered. We anticipate funding 3 projects.
• Award amounts include direct costs, institutional overhead costs (capped at 28%), and indirect costs.
• The amount of the grant Pfizer will be prepared to fund for any project will depend upon the expert
review panel’s evaluation of the proposal, timeline and costs involved and will be stated clearly in the
grant agreement.
Participation Requirements
Participation in an online kick-off meeting
o
Participation in a live and/or online and end of project wrap-up meeting
o
Participate in periodic amyloid networking opportunities via the ACC
o
A final written report outlining
o
• Achievement of stated objectives
• Outcomes, supported by data
• Protocol for other organizations to use in implementing a similar QI project, including project
parameters, suggestion on addressing implementation barriers, protocol(s), and an
implementation guide
Length of Projects
• Proposed QI projects should be conducted within a 12-month timeframe to allow for a meaningful data
collection period. An additional 3 months for outcomes/evaluation can be included.
Key Dates
• RFP Release Date: April 9, 2025
• Application Due Date: May 28, 2025
• Please note the deadline is 23:59 Eastern Standard Time (e.g., New York, GMT -5).
• Review of Proposals by Expert Review Panel: June/July 2025
• Anticipated Notification Date: August 2025
• Anticipated Project Start Date: October 2025
• Selected Grantees will work with ACC regarding potential presentation about their projects at
ACC.26: March 2026
• Projects Must Conclude By: December 31, 2026
• Final Report with Outcomes Must Be Submitted No Later Than: March 31, 2027
How to Submit
Note: Please read this section carefully since applications submitted not following these instructions will
not be accepted and will be cancelled.
• Please go to www.cybergrants.com/pfizer/QI and sign in. First-time users should click “Create your
password”. [Note: there are individual portals for each grant application type. Please be sure to use
the URL above.]
• Click the "Start a New Quality Improvement Application" button.
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• In the application:
• For the question “Competitive Grant?” select “Yes”.
• Select the following Competitive Grant Program Name: 2025 RD US ATTR-CM in Heart
Failure Patients ACCF
• Requirements for submission:
• Complete all required sections of the online application and upload your project
proposal (see Appendix) in the Full Proposal Submission field.
• If you encounter any technical difficulties with the website, please click the “Technical Questions” link
at the bottom of the page.
IMPORTANT: Be advised applications submitted after the due date will not be reviewed.
Questions
• If you have questions regarding this RFP, please direct them in writing to Pfizer Grant Officer, Amanda
Stein (amanda.j.stein@pfizer.com), with the subject line “QI- ATTR-CM in Heart Failure Patients.”
Grant Agreements
• If your grant is approved, your institution will be required to enter into a written grant agreement with
Pfizer. Please click here to view the core terms of the agreement.
• The agreement is expected to be signed by both parties within 2025 and without change.
• Under Pfizer's competitive grant program, modifications to grant agreements will not be reviewed
unless a genuine conflict exists as between applicable law and the terms of the relevant grant
agreement. Applicant is encouraged to share the core terms with counsel for approval prior to
submitting an application.
• Except where prohibited by applicable law and, in any case, subject to review by Pfizer Legal, payment
of grant funding may only be paid to the grantee organization.
Review and Approval Process
• A specific grant program RFP uses an expert review panel (ERP) to make final grant decisions.
• The panels are comprised of professionals from the medical community with advanced degrees and
expertise in ATTR-CM affiliated with the American College of Cardiology as well as one Pfizer Medical
Affairs colleague.
• Review Selection Criteria:
Quality of the QI project
o
Alignment of the QI Project to the stated areas of interest for the RFP
o
Qualifications of the applicant
o
Proposal that aligns the project with the grant funds available (i.e., budget) and stated defined
o
timeline for deliverables.
Mechanism by which Applicants will be Notified
• All applicants will be notified via email by the dates noted above.
• Applicants may be asked for additional clarification during the review period.
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References
Kittleson MM, Ruberg FL, Ambardekar AV, et al. 2023 ACC Expert Consensus Decision Pathway on
Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Care for the Patients with Cardiac Amyloidosis. J AM Coll Cardiol.
2023;81(11):1076-1126.
Heidenreich, Paul A et al. “2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure: A Report
of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice
Guidelines.” Circulation vol. 145,18 (2022): e895-e1032.
Hollenberg, S, Stevenson, L. et al. 2024 ACC Expert Consensus Decision Pathway on Clinical
Assessment, Management, and Trajectory of Patients Hospitalized With Heart Failure Focused Update: A
Report of the American College of Cardiology Solution Set Oversight Committee. JACC. 2024 Sep, 84
(13) 1241–1267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2024.06.002
Appendix
Specific RFP Submission Requirements
Applications will be accepted via the online portal listed in the How to Submit section. Project
Proposals/Protocols should be single-spaced using Calibri 12-point font and 1-inch margins. Note there is a
12-page limit exclusive of references. When uploading your Full Proposal please ensure it addresses the
following sections:
Goals and Objectives
• Briefly state the overall goal of the project. Also describe the alignment with the areas of focus of the RFP
and the goals of the applicant organization(s).
• List the overall objectives you plan to meet with your project both in terms of learning and expected
outcomes. Objectives should describe the target population as well as the outcomes you expect to achieve
as a result of conducting the project.
Assessment of Need for the Project
• Please include a quantitative baseline data summary, initial metrics (e.g., quality measures), or a project
starting point (please cite data on gap analyses or relevant patient-level data that informs the stated
objectives) in your target area. Describe the source and method used to collect the data. Describe how
the data was analyzed to determine that a gap existed. If a full analysis has not yet been conducted, please
include a description of your plan to obtain this information.
Target Audience
• Describe the primary audience(s) targeted for this project. Also indicate whom you believe will directly
benefit from the project outcomes. Describe the overall population size as well as the size of your sample
population
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Project Design and Methods
• Describe the planned project and the way it addresses the established need.
• If your methods include educational activities, please describe succinctly the topic(s) and format of those
activities.
Innovation
• Describe the steps you have taken to ensure, to the best of your knowledge, that this project idea is original
and does not replicate existing projects or materials within or outside your institution. Describe how this
project builds upon existing work, pilot projects, or ongoing projects developed either by your institution or
other institutions related to this project.
Evaluation and Outcomes
• In terms of the metrics used for the needs assessment, describe how you will determine if the practice gap
was addressed for the target group. Describe how you expect to collect and analyze the data.
• Quantify the type and amount of change expected from this project in terms of your target audience.
• Describe how the project outcomes will be broadly disseminated.
Anticipated Project Timeline
• Provide an anticipated timeline for your project including key activities/milestones and start/end dates.
Additional Information
• If there is any additional information you feel Pfizer/ACC should be aware of concerning the importance of
this project, please summarize here.
Organization Detail
• Describe the attributes of the institutions / organizations / associations that will support and facilitate the
execution of the project and the leadership of the proposed project. Articulate the specific role of any
partner in the proposed project.
Budget Detail
• The budget amount requested must be in U.S. dollars (USD).
• While estimating your budget please keep the following items in mind:
• General organizational running costs such as legal fees, insurance, heating, and lighting etc. should
be included in an Institutional Overhead (if required). These costs are not specific to a grant request
and therefore, should not appear as line items in budgets. However, costs that are specific to the study
(e.g., some countries require insurance to be taken out on a per-study basis for clinical research) would
be acceptable to be included as line items.
• The inclusion of overhead costs cannot cause the amount requested to exceed the budget limit set
forth in the RFP.
• Pfizer does not provide funding for capital purchases (infrastructure expenses such as equipment,
purchases of software or software licenses, technology or bricks and mortar). Equipment hire/leasing
is acceptable and may be included in project budget.
• It should be noted that grants awarded through GMGP cannot be used to purchase Pfizer therapeutic
agents (prescription or non-prescription).
• Pfizer maintains a company-wide, maximum allowed overhead rate of 28% for independent studies and
projects. Please click here for details.
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