Pfizer Independent Education Grants
Request For Proposals (RFP)
Addressing Educational Barriers to Equitable Care forPatients with Immune Inflammatory Diseases
Competitive Grant Program – Pfizer Internal Review Process

Overview
Equity – ensuring every patient is seen, heard, and cared for.
This competitive program seeks to champion patient learningand address disparities in health education or literacy amongpeople living with immune inflammatory diseases to support
them in understanding their disease and making evidenceinformed decisions in aligment with their goals, preferences andvalues.

Geographic Scope
GlobalProject Types and Area of Interest
The aim of this RFP is to support projects that design and provide tailored, on-demand, educationaland counseling resources to patients diagnosed with Immune-Inflammatory diseases starting fromthe time of diagnosis continuing during the entire course of their disease, irrespectively of the typeof treatment received, or other individual characteristics or socioeconomic determinants.
Providing such resources will enable patients to understand their disease and management options,engage in dialogue with their healthcare team, and be empowered to make informed decisions for themanagement of their disease, eventually aiming to achieve optimal health outcomes.

Key Milestones
Application submission deadline: August 31, 2023
Anticipated decision notification date: September 28, 2023

Funding Range and Project Length
Grant range expected to be from $10,000 to $150,000 USD. Maximum project length is 2 years.

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I.

Background

Under the auspices of the Chief Medical Office, Pfizer held an IBD Health Equity Summit at DDW 2023 inChicago, Illinois on May 5, 2023, with a group of 22 experts and advocates across the field ofgastroenterology. The purpose of the summit was to uncover research gaps and quality of care gaps that will
determine future directions in IBD research and contribute to achieving healthcare equity by addressing
clinical care disparities. Based on the research and quality of care gaps identified during the summit, Pfizer
plans to identify and support potential solutions. This RFP is first of an expected series of RFPs aligned withthis purpose.
At the Summit, several overarching themes emerged, highlighting the fact that IBD is a global affliction, andthe challenges in IBD transcend geographical borders. However, addressing these challenges will require
solutions tailored to local and regional contexts that consider factors such as race, ethnicity, socio-economic
status, culture, diets, and sexual orientations. Furthermore, it was recognized that many of the challenges
posed by IBD are not unique to this disease, and that valuable insights can be gained by examining othercomplex disease states to improve the quality of care and address health disparities in patients with IBD.
Relevant to this particular patient education RFP, some of the ideas and recommendations from the Summit
included:• Connect minority physicians, especially in underserved communities to resources that provide educationand improve quality of care in their communities and amplify their voices on their patients’ experiences• Support global initiatives to logistically and administratively increase efforts to educate and improve carein underserved communities worldwide• Increase efforts to connect patients to patient advocacy groups from similar cultural backgrounds to build
trust and address cultural disparities• Empower patients by increasing their self-confidence and understanding of treatment options to better
engage in decisions related to their care
• Recognize that there are groups of patients in several regions that lack any care, and addressing
healthcare disparities in care for these patients cannot be done online but will need to be done on a local
and regional level on the ground

II. Eligibility
Geographic Scope:•GlobalApplicant Eligibility Criteria•••

Only organizations are eligible to receive grants, not individuals or medical practice groups.
The following may apply: patient advocacy organizations; non-governmental organizations, medical,nursing, allied health, and/or pharmacy professional schools; healthcare institutions (both large andsmall); professional associations and medical societies; and other entities with a mission related to patient
education and/or healthcare delivery.
If the project involves multiple departments within an institution and/or between different institutions /organizations, all groups must have a relevant role and the requesting organization must have a key rolein the project.

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III. Requirements
Date RFP Issued•

June 14, 2023

Clinical Areas••The following Immune Inflammatory Diseases are in-scope as focus areas for this RFP:
• Dermatology (alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, plaque psoriasis, vitiligo)• Gastroenterology (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis)• Rheumatology (axial spondylarthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoidarthritis)
Proposals may be specific to any one or many of these conditions as appropriate based upon the mission
and expertise of the submitting organization(s)General Area of Interest for this RFP:
•••
•

•

Projects that will be considered for Pfizer independent
grant support will focus on optimizing patient outcomes bymaking educational resources equally available andaccessible to all patients with Immune Inflammatory
Diseases.
With a priority focus on underserved patient populations,
proposals under this RFP should be aimed at:• helping patients to understand and conceptualize theirdisease at first diagnosis as well as during the courseof the disease• assisting patients to assess management andtreatment options towards shared decision-making• facilitating timely initiation of appropriate therapeutic including non-pharmacological interventions
supporting treatment compliance and adherence eventually optimizing patient outcomes• supporting patients to understand their mental and emotional health and social impact related to thedisease
All educational activity formats will be considered under this RFP (live in-person, live virtual, enduring
courses, social media, apps, digital platforms, print, audio, video, etc.)
Of particular interest are the provision of educational resources for patients with a potential disadvantage
due to low socioeconomic situations, migrant, and minority populations. Education resources should bein appropriate local languages or include translational or communication services
It is not our intent to support clinical research projects under this RFP. Projects evaluating the efficacy oftherapeutic or diagnostic agents will not be considered.

Target Audience••

Proposals may be for education programs aimed directly at patients and caregivers, and/or programs,resources or tools designed for healthcare professionals to utilize with their patients.
Both pediatric and adult populations are in-scope.

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Expected Approximate Monetary Range of Grant Applications:••••Individual projects requesting up to a maximum of $150,000 will be considered.
The estimated total available budget related to this RFP is $600,000.
In order to be competitive, projects that will have a more limited patient reach such as a one regional
community or a smaller country should have a lower grant request amount – in the $10,000 to $30,000
range.
Award amounts include direct costs, indirect costs, and institutional overhead costs (capped at 28% per
Pfizer policy.)

Key Dates:
••
•
•
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RFP release date: 6/14/2023
Grant Application due date: 8/31/2023
Please note the deadline is 23:59 Eastern Standard Time (e.g., New York, GMT -5).
Anticipated Grant Award Notification Date: 9/28/2023
Grants will be distributed following a fully executed agreement.
Anticipated Approximate Project Start and End Dates: 12/1/2023 to 12/1/2025 (2-year maximum project
length, projects may be shorter than 2-years)

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 for
Proposal (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: 2023 I&I Global Patient Equity IME• Select the appropriate Primary Area of Interest for your submission
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.

Questions:•If you have questions regarding this RFP, please direct them in writing to the Grant Officer, Jackie
Waldrop (jacqueline.waldrop@pfizer.com) with the subject line “I&I Global Patient Equity RFP.”

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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.
Pfizer has drafted the terms of these agreements to be balanced and reasonable and to further the goalsof both parties. Negotiating grant agreements requires significant resources, so please ensure that yourinstitution (including your legal department) is able and willing to abide by these terms before proceedingwith submission of your application as they will need to be accepted in their entirety.
This RFP is supported by Pfizer Inc. and, if approved, payment will be sent from the United States.
Payment will only be made to requesting Institution.

Review and Approval Process•Grant requests received in response to a general RFP are reviewed by Pfizer colleagues to make final
grant decisions.

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.

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) is
responsible 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 theindependent education program.

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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 a15-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 engaged
in the project.

Dissemination Plan•

Describe how the project may have extended benefit beyond the grant. Will the teaching materials be
made 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.

6Additional Information•

If there is any additional information you feel Pfizer should be aware of concerning the importance of thisproject, please summarize hereOrganization 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 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.

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