Pfizer Independent Medical Education
RFPDiagnosis and Diagnostic Tests for Metallo-βLactamase (MBL) Producing Bacterial Infections
Competitive Grant Program –Pfizer Internal Review ProcessOverview
This competitive program aims to foster healthcare professional
education to support them in making evidence-informed decisions in
the diagnosis and management of patients with Metallo-β-Lactamase(MBL) producing bacterial infections.
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Geographic Scope
Global excluding United States and Canada

Project Types and Area of Interest
Potential applicants are encouraged to identify and address
the educational needs of healthcare professionals relating to theearly diagnosis of MBL-producing bacterial infections to improve themanagement of patients with these infections. This may include:•••

Needs assessment to better understand, assess and identify
knowledge gaps and opportunities for action in diagnosis andtesting including understanding of risk factors.
Educational tools/resources to reduce information barriers
and knowledge acquisition.
Educational programs to improve knowledge comprehension
and ensure equitable access and improved patient outcomes

Key Milestones• Application submission deadline: May 15, 2024 (extended)• Anticipated decision notification date: July 2024
• Anticipated project start date: on or after August 01, 2024

Funding Range
Individual projects requesting up to $100,000 USD will be considered.
Pfizer anticipates awarding 2 projects.

I. Eligibility
Geographic Scope:•Global excluding United States and Canada

Applicant Eligibility Criteria
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The following may apply: medical, dental, nursing, allied health, and/or pharmacy professional schools;
healthcare institutions (both large and small); professional organizations/medical societies; medical
education companies; and other entities with a mission related to healthcare professional education
and/or healthcare improvement.
Only organizations are eligible to receive grants, not individuals or medical practice groups (i.e., anindependent group of physicians not affiliated with a hospital, academic institution, or professionalsociety).
If the project involves multiple departments within an institution and/or between different institutions /organizations / associations, all institutions must have a relevant role and the requesting organizationmust have a key role in the project.
The applicant must be the project/program lead or an authorized designee of such individual (e.g.,project/program lead’s grant coordinator).
The project/program lead must be an employee or contractor of the requesting organization.
Requesting organization must be legally able to receive award funding directly from Pfizer Inc. We
strongly recommend that applicants confirm this with their organization or institution prior to submitting anapplication. Grants awarded to organizations that are subsequently found to be unable to accept funding
directly from Pfizer Inc. may be subject to rescission.

II. Requirements
Date RFP Issued•March 7, 2024

Clinical Area•

Metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) producing bacterial infections

General Area of Interest for this RFP:
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is considered to be one of the biggest threats to public health today.1
Acquired resistance among species belonging to the Enterobacterales order is a growing cause ofconcern.2
One resistance mechanism of particular concern is production of β-lactamases.2 In particular, the metalloβ-lactamases (MBLs) are an emerging multi-drug resistant threat,3 with very limited treatment options.
Multidrug-resistance due to the production of an MBL increases the likelihood of inappropriate initial
antibiotic regimen, increasing the risk of morbidity and mortality.4 Rapid detection of infections caused by
MBL-producing pathogens could enable earlier, appropriate antimicrobial therapy as well as immediate
prevention precautions, facilitating appropriate treatment and improving outcomes.5
Multidrug resistant infections due to MBL-producting bacteria are an important health issue that impacts
vulnerable populations globally, and in many settings, health care workers are unaware about thepresence of these β-lactamases, are unfamiliar with diagnosis of these infections, and the diagnostic tests

2that are available to detect MBL-producting bacteria.
The intent of this RFP is to support educational initiatives for healthcare professionals involved in thediagnosis and management of patients with MBL-producing bacterial infections. Proposals that will beconsidered for Pfizer support will focus on:• Identifying and addressing the educational needs of healthcare professionals related to the early diagnosis

of MBL-producing bacterial infections to improve the management of patients with these multidrug resistantinfections.

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Addressing knowledge gaps in the testing, including:• laboratory capacity to detect MBL-producing bacteria through genotypic and phenotypictesting.
• uses of laboratory testing to better inform early and appropriate treatment selection options forpatients with MBL-producing bacterial infections that might also improve patient outcomes.
• ensuring equitable access to such testing.
Increasing the understanding of the risk factors associated with MBL-producing bacterial
infections to:• better equip physicians to suspect a potential MBL-producing bacterial infection.
• diagnose the presence of an MBL-producing bacterial infection based on clinical signs andsymptoms and risk factors.
• deploy appropriate diagnostic tests to confirm the type of infection, the presence of MBLproducing bacteria and / or the susceptibility of the pathogen to available treatmentoptions.

Successful proposals should include measurement of outcomes, inclusive of learner progression throughout
the activity, extent to which the activity closed the identified gaps, and patient impact. Preferred proposals
would also provide learners with continuing medical education (CME) accreditation.
It is not our intent to support clinical research projects. Projects evaluating the efficacy of therapeutic or
diagnostic agents will not be considered.

Target Audience•

ID physicians, clinical microbiologists, ICU physicians, internal medicine physicians, and any HCPs
involved in the testing, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with MBL-producing bacterial infections.

Expected Approximate Monetary Range of Grant Applications:•Individual projects requesting up to $100,000 will be considered. Pfizer anticipates awarding 2projects.

Key Dates:•••••

RFP release date: March 7, 2024
Grant Application due date: May 15, 2024 (extended)
Please note the deadline is 23:59 Eastern Standard Time (e.g., New York, GMT -5).
Anticipated Grant Award Notification Date: July 2024
Grants will be distributed following a fully executed agreement.
Anticipated Project Start Date: on or after August 01, 20243

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/knowledge and sign in. First-time users should click “Createyour password”. [Note: there are individual portals for each grant application type. Please be sure to use the URLabove.]••••

Click the “Start A New Knowledge Gap Application" button.
In the application:• For the question “What type of request are you submitting?” select Response to a Request forProposal (RFP)• For the question “Are you replying to a Request for Proposal (RFP) as part of the Competitive
Grant Program?” select Yes• Select the following Competitive Grant Program Name: 2024 HOS Global MBL-ProducingBacterial Infections IME• Select the following Primary Area of Interest: Infectious Disease – Bacterial - KG
Requirements for submission:
Complete all required sections of the online application and upload your project proposal (seeAppendix) in the General RFP Submission field.
If you encounter any technical difficulties with the website, please click the “Technical Questions” link atthe 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 the Grant Officer, Camille
Jimenez (camille.jimenez@pfizer.com), with the subject line “2024 HOS Global MBL-Producing Bacterial
Infections IME RFP.”

Grant Agreements:••••

If your grant is approved, your institution will be required to enter into a written grant agreement withPfizer. Please click here to view the core terms of the agreement.
Under Pfizer's competitive grant program, modifications to grant agreements will not be reviewed unless agenuine 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 anapplication.
Except where prohibited by applicable law and, in any case, subject to review by Pfizer Legal, payment ofgrant funding may only be paid to the grantee organization.
This RFP is supported by Pfizer Inc. and, if approved, payment will be sent from the United States.

Review and Approval Process•

Grant requests received in response to a general RFP are reviewed by Pfizer to make final grantdecisions.

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
1. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Antimicrobial resistance surveillance in Europe
2023 - 2021 data. Antimicrobial resistance surveillance in Europe 2023 - 2021 data (europa.eu) (Lastaccessed February 2024);
2. Castanheira M, et al. Open Forum Infect Dis 2019;6 (Suppl. 1):S23–S33;
3. Boyd SE, et al. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2020;64:e00397-203;
4. Babu KV, et al. J Nat Sci Biol Med 2014;5(2):345–51. doi: 10.4103/0976-9668.136181. PMID: 25097412;
PMCID: PMC4121912.
5. Cespedes Santana M, et al. IDCases 2022;27:e01385. doi: 10.1016/j.idcr.2022.e01385. PMID:35070715; PMCID: PMC8762063.

About Pfizer Global Medical Grants
Pfizer Global Medical Grants (GMG) 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 GMG competitive grant program involves a publicly posted general Request for Proposal (RFP)
that provides detail regarding a general area of interest, sets timelines for review and approval, and uses
an internal Pfizer review process to make final grant decisions. Organizations are invited to submit anapplication addressing the knowledge gaps as outlined in the specific RFP.
For all independent medical education grants, the grant requester (and ultimately the grantee) isresponsible for the design, implementation, and conduct of the independent initiative supported by thegrant. Pfizer must not be involved in any aspect of project development, nor the conduct of the
independent education program.

5Appendix
General RFP Submission Requirements
Applications will be accepted via the online portal listed in the How to Submit section. Project
Proposals should be single-spaced using Calibri 12-point font and 1-inch margins. Note there is a
15-page limit exclusive of references. When uploading your Project Proposal please ensure it
addresses the following sections:
Goals and Objectives••

Briefly state the overall goal of the project.
List the objectives you plan to meet with your project, in terms of learning and expected outcomes.

Needs Assessment for the Project•

Include a description of your organization’s needs assessment for this proposed project which may
include a quantitative baseline data summary, initial metrics, or a project starting point (please cite dataon gap analyses or relevant patient-level data that informs the stated objectives) in your target area.

Target Audience•Describe the primary audience(s) targeted for this project. 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.

Project Design and Methods•

Describe the planned project, the educational approach, and the way the planned methods address theestablished need.

Innovation•

Explain what measures you have taken to assure that this project is original and does not duplicate otherprojects or materials already developed. Describe how this project builds upon existing work, pilot
projects, or ongoing projects developed either by your institution or other institutions.

Evaluation and Outcomes•

In terms of the metrics used for the needs assessment, describe how your organization will determine if
the gap was addressed for the target group. Identify the sources of data your organization anticipatesusing to make the determination. Describe how your organization is expected to collect and analyze thedata. Explain the method used to control for other factors outside this project (e.g., use of a control groupor comparison with baseline data). Quantify the amount of change expected from this project in terms thetarget audience. Describe how your organization will determine if the target audience was fully engagedin the project.

Dissemination Plan•

Describe how the project may have extended benefit beyond the grant. Will the teaching materials bemade available to others to use? Will there be tools or resources that are made publicly available
beyond the initial project. Describe how the project outcomes might be broadly disseminated.

Anticipated Project Timeline•

Provide an anticipated timeline for your project including project start/end dates.

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Additional Information•If there is any additional information you feel Pfizer should be aware of concerning the importance of thisproject, please summarize here

Organization Detail•

Describe the attributes of the institutions / organizations / associations that will support and facilitate theexecution of the project and the leadership of the proposed project. Articulate the specific role of eachpartner in the proposed project.

Budget Detail•••

Please submit your budget in USD.
Please include a budget narrative that describes in greater detail the line items specified in the budget
submitted within the application.
While estimating your budget please keep the following items in mind:• Independent Medical Education Grants awarded by GMG cannot be used to purchase therapeutic
assets (prescription or non-prescription).
• Overhead rates of up to 28% of the total proposed project budget may be supported by Pfizer.
Please click here for details. 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.

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