Funder: PhRMA Foundation
Due Dates: April 15, 2025 (Letter of Intent) | July 1, 2025 (Full Application Invitation) | August 28, 2025 (Full Application) | December 15, 2025 (Award Notification)
Funding Amounts: $60,000/year for up to 2 years (maximum $120,000 total); stipend only
Summary: Supports postdoctoral researchers at U.S. universities advancing multidisciplinary drug delivery research, including technology, formulation, and predictive approaches.
Key Information: Only one postdoc per lab may apply; applicants must have received their doctorate on or after January 1, 2023.
Description
The PhRMA Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in Drug Delivery provides support for postdoctoral researchers engaged in multidisciplinary, collaborative research training at accredited U.S. universities. The program aims to advance the field of drug delivery by funding innovative research in areas such as basic pharmaceutics, biopharmaceutics, pharmaceutical technology, pharmaceutical biotechnology, and biomedical engineering.
The fellowship targets projects that address challenges in delivering complex drugs to patients, including:
- Development of novel drug delivery technologies and formulations
- Improved manufacturing methods for challenging chemical entities (e.g., poorly soluble drugs, large molecules, cell-based constructs)
- Predictive approaches (modeling, simulation, data analytics, machine/deep learning) to correlate in vitro and in vivo performance, and to assess toxicities and side effects
Proposals involving artificial intelligence (AI) or machine/deep learning must clearly document methodologies, data curation, and validation processes. Research applicable to multiple drug modalities is prioritized.
Due Dates
- Letter of Intent (LOI) Deadline: April 15, 2025, 12:00 p.m. (noon) ET
- Invitation to Submit Full Application: July 1, 2025
- Full Application Deadline (by invitation): August 28, 2025, 12:00 p.m. (noon) ET
- Award Notification: December 15, 2025
Funding Amount
- Stipend: $60,000 per year for up to 2 years (12, 18, or 24 months; maximum $120,000)
- Use of Funds: Stipend only; may not be used for tuition, fringe benefits, or indirect costs
- Payment: Funds are paid to the university on behalf of the awardee
- Progress Reports: Required at 10 months (for continued funding) and at the end of the fellowship
Eligibility
- Citizenship: Open to U.S. and non-U.S. citizens
- Institution: Must be based at a PhD and/or MS degree-granting accredited U.S. university
- Degree: Must hold a PhD, PharmD, MD, or equivalent terminal research doctorate (degree must be received before funding begins)
- Degree Date: Doctoral degree must have been granted on or after January 1, 2023
- Career Breaks: Extensions to eligibility window may be considered for career breaks (contact the Foundation in advance)
- Current Funding: Applicants on institutional training grants (e.g., NIH T32) may apply if they will forgo that slot if awarded; not eligible if holding NIH K99/R00 or NIH-F awards
- Concurrent Funding: Cannot hold another stipend-supporting fellowship concurrently
- Lab Placement: Preference for applicants conducting research in a new lab (not where graduate work was performed)
- Lab Limit: Only one postdoctoral applicant per lab may apply; multiple applications from the same lab are ineligible
- Project Overlap: No duplicative applications for the same project from the same lab (efforts must be distinct)
Application Process
Step 1: Letter of Intent (LOI)
- Submit via ProposalCentral
- Required documents:
- NIH Biosketch
- Project Abstract
- 600-word LOI describing the research project and aims
- Responses to Research Impact Questions (template provided in ProposalCentral)
- LOI deadline: April 15, 2025, 12:00 p.m. (noon) ET
Step 2: Full Application (by invitation)
- Selected applicants will be invited by July 1, 2025
- Full application deadline: August 28, 2025, 12:00 p.m. (noon) ET
- Detailed requirements will be provided upon invitation
Note: The applicant must be the primary author of the application, with guidance from their mentor.
Additional Information
- Funding may begin as early as January 1, 2026, or as late as August 1, 2026
- Award is non-transferable and intended solely as a stipend
- Unspent funds must be returned to the PhRMA Foundation
- Any project changes require Foundation approval
- Only one application per lab is permitted; coordinate with your mentor/lab manager before applying
External Links
Contact Information