Pfizer Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) Research Collaboration

This competitive grant program seeks innovative research proposals to partner with Pfizer on co-developing studies focused on understanding the burden of Clostridioides difficile infections in humans, with selected investigators serving as principle investigator and regulatory sponsor.

Overview

• Individual projects up to $500,000 USD funding with maximum 12-month duration
• Research collaboration with Pfizer medical team to co-develop study protocol and publication in peer-reviewed literature
• Two-step process: Letter of Intent (LOI) followed by full proposal development for selected applicants
• Preference given to PIs open to collaborative agreements with other institutions
   

Priority Areas

• Population-Based Studies: Must include description of geographic area covered
• Hospital or Multi-Hospital Studies: Must include description of hospital(s) with number of beds, admissions, and patient population
• Focus on adults aged 18+ years: Especially healthy adults over 50 and high-risk adults aged 18-49
• Multi-center or large diverse area studies: Urban or rural settings encouraged
   

Eligibility & Requirements

• Geographic scope limited to France, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, United States
• PI must have medical or postdoctoral degree (MD, PhD, or equivalent), advanced nursing degree (BSN with MS/PhD), or degree in Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, or Social Work
• Only organizations eligible to receive funds, not individuals or medical practice groups
• Organization must be legally able to receive award funding directly from Pfizer Inc.
• Sites must be capable of lab-confirmed C. difficile testing (preferably PCR) for prospective studies
• Excluded studies: pediatric-only populations, pre-clinical studies, prevalence-only studies, case series, case-controlled studies

Timeline

• RFP Release Date: October 16, 2025
• LOI Due Date: December 11, 2025 (23:59 EST)
• Notification of Selected Proposals: February 2026
• Full Proposal Submission Due: April 1, 2026
• Contract and Research Protocol Finalization Target: July 1, 2026
• Project Duration: 12 months from LOI selection to final study report

How to Submit

• Access the submission portal at www.cybergrants.com/pfizer/cfc_loi and sign in (first-time users click "Create your password")
• Click "Start a New CFC LOI" button and select "2026 VAC Global CDI RFP RES" as the Competitive CFC Program Name
• Complete all required sections of online application and upload project proposal using RFP template

Please note: Full RFP is attached in the "More Information" section of this page. Faculty and researchers interested in applying for these opportunities based on technologies developed or disclosed at Vanderbilt must submit their proposals through the CTTC.