Challenge Awards
This grant recognizes and publishes outstanding trainee-led research on genetic medicine, including gene therapy, gene editing, and RNA-based therapies, with a focus on discovery, development, and delivery.
Funder: PhRMA Foundation
Due Dates: June 1, 2026 (Manuscript submission deadline for Challenge Awards: Advancing Genetic Medicine)
Funding Amounts: $5,000 per winning paper (up to five awards); publication in a special journal collection.
Summary: Recognizes outstanding trainee-led research papers on advancing genetic medicine, with monetary prizes and publication.
Key Information: Only trainees (graduate students, postdocs, clinical residents) are eligible for award money; industry employees may compete but cannot receive funds.
Description
The PhRMA Foundation's Challenge Awards are annual competitions that invite researchers to submit papers or proposals addressing pressing questions in biomedical research and healthcare. Each year, the competition focuses on a different theme; the 2026 cycle is dedicated to "Advancing Genetic Medicine: Discovery, Development, and Delivery." This special call, in partnership with the journal Pharmaceutical Research, seeks original research articles and review papers that address breakthroughs and ongoing challenges across the genetic medicine pipeline—including gene therapy, gene editing, and RNA-based therapies. Selected winners receive a $5,000 prize and their manuscripts are published in a dedicated journal collection.
