Pharmaceutics > Pre Doctoral Fellowships

Program

Pharmaceutics is that area of the pharmaceutical sciences that seeks the optimal development of a drug delivery product or device and its subsequent performance in the delivery of the drug from the device following its administration to a patient. Pharmaceutics is a multidisciplinary area, with significant underpinnings from such basic scientific disciplines as physical chemistry, physical organic chemistry, and biophysics.

Progress in pharmaceutics research requires the constant entry of well-trained investigators into the field. The PhRMA Foundation recognizes the critical need for such scientists and appreciates that the training of such individuals is both long and expensive, requiring four to five years of study and research. To encourage the entry of more qualified individuals into this area, the PhRMA Foundation program aims at supporting promising students during their thesis research by providing assistance in the form of stipend and funds to cover costs incidental to the training. Applications will be accepted for a minimum of one year and a maximum of two years.

The program is designed for applicants who expect to complete the requirements for the Ph.D. in pharmaceutics in two years or less from the time the fellowship begins. For the purposes of this program, pharmaceutics includes basic pharmaceutics, biopharmaceutics and pharmaceutical technology. The fundamental aspects of pharmacokinetics are not included since these are covered by PhRMA Foundation awards in pharmacology and toxicology. Students in this area are encouraged to submit an application to that program.

The program assumes that the fellows will devote full-time (including summers) to their research. The PhRMA Foundation fellowship may not be used as a supplement to funds from other fellowships or assistantships. However, this does not preclude institutions supplementing a fellowship with their own funds in order to bring the stipend within the normal range of the institution. The focus of the program is to assist in the predoctoral training of the applicant. It should not be viewed as a program to fund a research project. It should be stressed that the quality of the research proposed will be a major factor in the selection of fellows. The student's success in carrying out a rigorous academic [i.e., course work] program will be another major selection factor. Research projects which extend or develop the proprietary value of specific drug products are not acceptable in this program. This exclusion does not preclude research in which specific drug products are used to test hypotheses which have a general applicability. Applications, however good, which do not meet the aims of the program will be disapproved.

Eligibility

The fellowship program of pre doctoral support is designed to assist full-time, in-residence Ph.D. candidates in pharmaceutics who are enrolled in a school of pharmacy accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education or the mentor of the applicant must be in an accredited school of pharmacy. The program seeks to support advanced students who will have completed the bulk of their pre-thesis requirements (generally two years of study) and are starting their thesis research by the time the award is activated. Students just starting in graduate school should not apply.

To be eligible, applicants must hold a B.S., M.S., or Pharm.D. degree in pharmacy or a related area such as chemistry or biology from an accredited school in the U.S. A candidate enrolled in a Pharm.D./Ph.D. program should not be taking required clinical course work or clinical clerkships during the tenure of the fellowship. Also, before an individual is eligible to apply for a PhRMA Foundation award, the applicant must first have a firm commitment from a U.S. university, and must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

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