The Pfizer Research Grant – Competitive Grant Program seeks proposals for a project focused on improving health outcomes in patients with Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) through the development of a shared decision-making tool (decision aid). This grant supports medical societies, professional organizations, and academic institutions in partnership with patient advocacy organizations to design, validate, and evaluate a decision aid that enhances decision quality, patient experience, and quality of care for individuals living with ATTR-CM.

Overview

Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is a progressive, life-threatening condition with significant morbidity, mortality, and burden on patients, caregivers, and healthcare systems. The disease is characterized by diagnostic delays, complex treatment pathways, and evolving therapeutic options, creating uncertainty and decisional conflict for patients and clinicians. Shared decision-making (SDM) has emerged as a critical component of patient-centered care, particularly in complex and preference-sensitive conditions such as ATTR-CM. Well-designed decision aids can support meaningful dialogue between patients and healthcare professionals by improving understanding of disease trajectory, treatment options, risks and benefits, and alignment of care with individual patient values and goals.

Funding and Benefits

• Funding Range: One individual project requesting up to $250,000 USD will be considered.
• Project Length: Maximum project length is 1 year.
• Award Components: Award amounts include direct costs, institutional overhead costs (capped at 28% per Pfizer policy), and indirect costs.
• Milestone Payments: Funding is distributed based on project milestones, including 20% upon project initiation ($50,000), 10% upon recruitment of a patient advocacy group ($25,000), 20% upon draft version 1 co-created with patients ($50,000), 20% upon internal validation outputs ($50,000), 20% upon delivery of the final SDM tool ($50,000), and 10% upon notification of project submission to a peer-reviewed journal ($25,000).

Eligibility

• Geographic Scope: Global.
• Applicant Organizations: Health organizations, academia, medical societies, or professional organizations, in partnership with patient advocacy organizations, that include transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CM) as a focus area.
• Eligible Entities: Only organizations are eligible to receive grants, not individuals or medical practice groups (i.e., an independent group of physicians not affiliated with a hospital, academic institution, or professional society).
• Principal Investigator: The PI must have a medical or postdoctoral degree (MD, PhD, or equivalent), an advanced nursing degree (BSN with a MS/PhD), or a degree in Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, or Social Work. The PI must be an employee or contractor of the requesting organization.
• Institutional Requirement: The requesting organization must be legally able to receive award funding directly from Pfizer Inc. Applicants should confirm this with their organization prior to submitting an application.
• Multiple Institutions: If the project involves multiple departments or institutions, all must have a relevant role, and the requesting organization must have a key role in the project.

Research Areas and Activities

Proposals should address all the following areas of interest:

• Tool Design and Content Development: Consistent with decision-making theory and methodology for SDM tool development and validation.
• Co-Development with Stakeholders: Input from patients living with ATTR-CM, patient advocacy organizations, caregivers, cardiac amyloidosis specialists (cardiologists, nurses, and allied HCPs) should directly inform content, language, format, and practical considerations of the SDM tool.
• Needs Assessment and Conceptual Framework: Grounded in bidirectional information exchange, including literature review and focus groups with stakeholders to identify gaps and decision-making challenges in the ATTR-CM care pathway.
• Assessment and Validation: Tool validity and usability testing with end-users for practical real-world clinical use and minimization of unintended barriers to engagement. Internal validation should be compared to a standard SDM validation instrument (e.g., CollaboRATE or COMRADE).

This RFP does not accept requests for the provision, purchase, development, formulation, or supply of drug compounds (including investigational or approved products).

Application Process

• Submission Portal: Applications must be submitted via the online portal at www.cybergrants.com/pfizer/Research. First-time users should click "Create your password."
• Application Requirements: Complete all required sections of the online application. Upload the full proposal in the Proposal/Protocol field. Applications submitted after the due date will not be reviewed.
• Selection Process: Grant requests are reviewed by Pfizer to make final grant decisions. All applicants will be notified via email by the dates noted above.
• Grant Agreement: If approved, the institution will be required to enter into a written grant agreement with Pfizer.
• IRB Approval: Organizations must obtain approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) if required for study execution. It is not mandatory to have IRB approval at the time of proposal submission, but organizations must secure IRB evaluation after award notification and ensure approval is in place prior to 01 November 2026.

Deadline and Timeline

• RFP Release Date: 10 March 2026
• Submission Deadline: 3 June 2026 (23:59 Eastern Standard Time, e.g., New York, GMT -5)
• Anticipated Grant Award Notification: 13 July 2026
• Anticipated Project Start Date: November 2026
• Anticipated Project End Date: November 2027

Contact Information

For questions regarding this RFP, direct inquiries in writing to the Grant Officer, Talita Honorato-Rzeszewicz at talita.honorato-rzeszewicz@pfizer.com with the subject line "2026 RD US Rare Cardio SDM." For technical difficulties with the submission website, refer to the "Technical Questions" link at the bottom of the page in Cybergrants.