Application Process

How to Apply:
The following documents are required and must be completed in English:

Cover letter on institution letterhead
Completed application form (including full research proposal and budget details)
The 3 most relevant articles from the applicant’s scientific publications (if applicable)
An abbreviated curriculum vitae (CV) (limited to 3 pages)
Description of available laboratory facilities
Listing of other research support available and, if applicable, a listing of consenting collaborators (including CVs)
Bibliography of relevant references (that provide support and justification for the grant proposal – these may or may not include personal publications listed in previous sections).

Applications must be received by 5pm Eastern Daylight Time in the United States on May 14, 2008. Addenda, supplemental materials, changes, or updates will not be accepted after this time.
Completed application forms and accompanying documents should be submitted by email to applications@grand2008.org.
Applications must be submitted in English.
The application process for the GRAND awards is described in detail below, including key dates, eligibility, selection criteria, information required, and conditions of the awards.

To download this guide as a pdf document, please click here.

Application Guide
Pfizer Inc is pleased to announce the inaugural funding of the Global Research Awards for Nicotine Dependence (GRAND). The GRAND Program is a unique opportunity for Pfizer to reinforce its commitment to supporting nicotine dependence research at research institutions throughout the world.

The mission of the GRAND Program is to advance the understanding of the mechanisms of nicotine dependence and its treatment; and to support established researchers and encourage the development of junior researchers in the study of nicotine, its effects and the treatment of nicotine dependence. The program will support basic and clinical research into the mechanisms of tobacco and nicotine dependence.

Research may be in the following areas:

Genetics, molecular biology, neurobiology, and neuropharmacology
Human laboratory (eg, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, cravings, withdrawal) and animal behavior
Pharmacotherapy of smoking cessation and relapse, and/or its interaction with behavioral support
Characterization of subtypes of smokers and appropriate interventions.

The following topics fall outside of the scope of the GRAND Program:
Epidemiology (harm and prevalence of dependence)
Tobacco policy
Public health
Community interventions
Economic and social factors
Educational programs.

Both drug and non-drug proposals will be considered for funding.
It is anticipated that 12 awards will be granted in October 2008. Six of the awards have an upper limit of US $150,000 each including indirect costs, while 6 awards reserved for junior researchers have an upper limit of US $50,000 each. Pfizer drugs and placebo, if necessary, will be supplied by Pfizer at no cost.
Projects should yield results that would first merit submission as abstracts to scientific meetings and, subsequently, publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Key Dates
Application Deadline: May 14, 2008 (by 5pm Eastern Daylight Time in the United States).
Notification of Awards Recipients: Mid July, 2008.
Public Announcement of Awardees: At the 10th Annual Conference of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco Europe; Rome, Italy; September 23–26, 2008.
Start of Award: On or about October 1, 2008.
Study results are expected by October 1, 2010.

Eligibility
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
1. Academic Eligibility
a. An applicant must hold an MD, a PhD, or the equivalent.
b. To be eligible for a Junior Researcher Award (US $50,000), applicants from the United States of America must not have previously received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Award for any research project, other than a small grant (R03), an Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15), an exploratory/developmental grant (R21), a Shannon Award (R55), an NIH High Priority, Short-Term Project Award (R56), or mentored career development awards for persons at the beginning of their research career (K01, K08, K22, K23, K25, K99/R00). Current or past recipients of Independent Scientist and other non-mentored career awards (K02, K05, K24, and K26) are not considered junior researchers. Applicants outside the United States must not have previously received any of the above awards, or equivalent funding from institutions in their home country.

2. Research Requirements
An applicant should have a strong academic career interest in one of these areas relevant to the mission statement:

Genetics, molecular biology, neurobiology, and neuropharmacology
Human laboratory (eg, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, cravings) and animal behavior
Pharmacotherapy of smoking cessation and relapse, and/or its interaction with behavioral support
Characterization of subtypes of smokers and appropriate interventions.

3. Other Funding
No other government, non-governmental, or industry-sponsored projects may cover the same work scope as the grant application to the GRAND Program. However, a GRAND Program grant may be related to other funding from foundations or government agencies, as long as there is no direct overlap. It is the responsibility of the applicant to justify the novelty of the proposal and provide evidence that the application does not overlap with any current or pending funding.

4. Citizenship
There are NO restrictions regarding citizenship. However, an Applicant must have legal status in the country in which his or her institution is located.

Criteria for Selection
Applications are reviewed by the GRAND Review Committee. Academic members of this panel are internationally prominent researchers listed in this brochure.
In their evaluation, the Committee members consider:

Scientific merit of the research proposal
Qualifications of the applicant
Relevance of proposed research to the GRAND Program's mission statement
Evidence of the applicant's commitment to an academic research career
Evidence of a suitable research environment.

Application
Applications must be submitted in English.
Applications must include the following:

Cover letter on institution letterhead
Completed application form (including full research proposal see Research Proposal section below and budget details)
The three (3) most relevant articles from the applicant’s scientific publications (if applicable)
An abbreviated curriculum vitae (CV) (limited to three (3) pages)
Description of available laboratory facilities
Listing of other research support available and, if applicable, a listing of consenting collaborators (including CVs)
Bibliography of relevant references.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 14, 2008
Applications must be received by 5pm Eastern Daylight Time in the United States on May 14, 2008. Addenda, supplemental materials, changes, or updates will not be accepted after the deadline.
Completed application forms and accompanying documents should be submitted by email to applications@grand2008.org.

Applications must be submitted in English.

Research Proposal
The Research Proposal should be a clear and concise presentation of the applicant's research question. The Research Proposal should be completed within the section of the same name in the application form.
The Research Proposal must include:
Abstract
In the application form, use the Proposal Details Section to provide an abstract of no more than 250 words outlining your proposed research.

The Proposal
In the application form, use the Research Proposal Section to describe your proposed research in detail.

A statement of objectives, specific aims, hypotheses, and relevance of the proposed study to the mission of the GRAND Program.
A description of relevant past work by the applicant and other investigators, including personal publications (reports of unpublished research will be considered confidential).
A description of study methodology including: experimental design, sample size, potential problems and possible approaches for overcoming them, justification for the involvement of any experimental animals or human subjects, and methods of data analysis. Figures and tables must be included in the body of the text.
This section is limited to 8 pages total, single-spaced, not including references. Applications with proposals over 8 pages will not be accepted or reviewed by the Review Committee.

Instructions as to spacing, length, and format must be strictly followed. Use standard three-quarter inch margins, no more than 15 characters per inch, and no more than 60 lines per page.

The Research Proposal Section is limited to 8 pages total, single-spaced, not including references.
Conditions of the Award
Each award is subject to the following conditions, which must be agreed to by the awardee and host institution through a Letter of Agreement with Pfizer before any funds will be disbursed.

A. Financial Administration
The GRAND Program grant will be awarded to the host institution on behalf of the awardee. It is anticipated that 12 awards will be granted in October 2008. Six of the awards have an upper limit of US $150,000 each, while 6 awards are reserved for junior researchers and have an upper limit of US $50,000. The amount of each award includes both direct and indirect costs. The indirect costs cannot be higher than 25% of the direct costs. Each payment will be made in instalments according to milestones, with a maximum of 50% of the funding delivered at the beginning of the project. The last instalment of 10% will be made when the final results of the study are available. Final budgets of those studies awarded a grant will be reviewed for fair market value before the contracting begins.

B. Use of GRAND Program Funding
Funds from the GRAND Program may be used to support the applicant's salary and fringe benefits, technical salaries, and supplies.

C. Financial Record Keeping
A separate financial record must be maintained by the awardee.

D. GRAND Program Awards Progress and Final Reports
The awardee must submit a final report on study results to the GRAND Program within 6 months after the finalization of the study.
Reprints of articles, published or in press, should be included with all reports.
From time to time, the GRAND Program may ask prior awardees for information on career progress.

E. Required Documents if Proposal is Selected for Funding
The following additional documentation will be required if your proposal is selected for funding by the independent review committee:

Original letter documenting acceptance of support, written on institutional letterhead, signed by the Investigator
Two copies of the Signed Letter of Agreement
IRB approval documentation, if applicable
IND documentation from local regulatory authorities, as applicable per local regulations
Certification of Study Closure Form.

F. Publications
Awardees are expected to present their findings at scientific meetings or to publish them in scientific journals. All publications that result from a project supported by the GRAND Program must carry the following acknowledgment: "This research was supported by the Global Research Awards for Nicotine Dependence Program grant, an independent competitive grants program sponsored by Pfizer, to (name of awardee).”
Awardees will provide to the GRAND Program the opportunity to view manuscripts or abstracts 45 days prior to submission for publication or other public disclosure.

G. Patents and Licensing
If the conduct of the research results in any invention or discovery by the awardee that relates to a Pfizer product, the awardee will grant to Pfizer a perpetual, royalty-free worldwide, non-exclusive license to each such invention.

H. Stipulations

Should the Awardee discontinue the research project or leave the designated host institution, the GRAND Program must be notified without delay.
The GRAND Award may be transferred to another institution at the sole discretion of the GRAND Program, acting on the recommendation of the Review Committee. If a transfer is requested, letters from the awardee, and the new institution must be submitted to the GRAND Program at least 3 months before the date of the proposed transfer.
If the host institution or the Awardee wishes to terminate the award before its completion, an agreement between the host institution and the GRAND Program will be arranged. Termination will be made with the understanding that all unexpended funds will be returned to the GRAND Program and any unpaid balance of the award will be cancelled.

H. SAE Reporting (As Applicable)
Pfizer requires all serious adverse events (SAEs) to be reported within 24 hours (or immediately if fatal or life threatening) using an FDA MedWatch Form or a comparable adverse event reporting form approved by local regulatory authorities.

Review Committee
Karl Fagerström, PhD, Co-chair
Fagerström Consulting AB
Helsingborg, Sweden

Scott Leischow, PhD, Co-chair
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona, USA

David Balfour, PhD
University of Dundee
Dundee, United Kingdom

Christian Chiamulera, PharmD
University of Verona
Verona, Italy

Maxine Stitzer, PhD
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Philip Tonnesen, MD
Gentofte University Hospital
Copenhagen, Denmark

Serena Tonstad, MD, PhD, MPH
University of Oslo
Oslo, Norway

Rachel Tyndale, PhD
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Robert West, PhD
University College London
London, United Kingdom

Edward Sellers, MD, PhD
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada