USP is committed to investing in the next generation of scientists who are conducting cross-cutting research to advance science in new and exciting ways. USP offers a variety of student programs to help motivate, support, and shape future innovators to address public health challenges and advance cutting-edge science.
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USP’s Next Generation Scientists Program is designed to engage and empower emerging leaders in science and innovation to make progress in fast moving scientific areas that are mission critical to USP.
This USP-funded research grant is meant for graduate and post-doc students who are completing cutting-edge research in the fields of pharmaceutical medicines, dietary supplements, and foods.
USP is committed to representing the communities that we serve and engaging underrepresented audiences in scientific research and innovation. All applicants are encouraged to apply.
Project proposals should be related to one or more elements of USP’s Science Quality Framework:
Proposal submissions should include the following information:
An applicant must be a recent student from an accredited master’s degree or Ph.D.-granting program. Applicants do not need to reside in the U.S. to apply.
Applications must propose research in the areas of pharmaceutical medicines, dietary supplements, and foods, with potential or direct connections with quality and/or supply chain issues, such that the successful results would be of practical benefit to quality assurance and/or enable USP to create new standards/products. Proposals will be evaluated by an Advisory Committee comprised of USP staff and Expert Volunteers on the following: strategic relevance, scientific merit, and novelty.
Grant proposals should include a budget of $5,000 to $50,000 USD. The number of grants and amount of funds awarded will vary based on applications received and annual budget.
Applications should include a specific request for the funding needed to complete the research, including total cost and a budget for all expenditures such as: personnel (see below); reagents and expendables; permanent equipment; and travel. A brief budget explanation should be part of the proposal; budget considerations may be part of the evaluation of the proposal.
Funding will be awarded in one lump sum before research commences.
A maximum of $5,000 per year may be used to support the principal investigator’s salary, including benefits. Postdoctoral fellows, research associates, technicians, graduate students (stipend and/or tuition), and/or undergraduate students may be supported through the grant, at levels commensurate with the grantee’s department or academic unit.
No institutional overhead charges, nor facilities and administrative charges will be charged to USP nor will any be provided by USP.
When the research has concluded, the grantee will submit a financial report and a scientific progress report (see below).
Each grant recipient is required to submit a scientific progress and financial report to USP. USP shall, in its sole discretion and consistent with its standard practices, determine whether the grant recipient is meeting the goals and objectives appropriately. A USP mentor will be assigned to the grant recipient based on expertise related to the research; the USP mentor will be responsible for monitoring the grant recipient’s scientific process and ensuring timelines and expectations are met.
Each grant recipient is required to present a lecture (currently, virtually) during or promptly following the grant period at a time to be agreed upon by the grant recipient and the USP.
The application window is now closed.
Questions? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions or email science@usp.org.
This year’s Next Generation Scientists grant recipient is Ishaan Duggal and his research proposal about the Disintegration and Dissolution of 3D Printed Solid Oral Dosage Forms.
Ishaan is a first year Ph.D. student in the department of Pharmaceutics at the University of Texas at Austin and has a M.S. in Pharmaceutics from the University of Minnesota and a B.Pharm. from the University Institute of Pharmaceutical Scientists in India.
USP looks forward to Ishaan’s work in identifying critical process parameters affecting the disintegration and dissolution of 3D printed solid oral dosage forms.
The USP Fellowship Program was developed to recognize graduate level students who are conducting research related to USP’s mission impact priorities. The program is designed to provide collaborative research opportunities to emerging leaders in science and innovation and help prepare students to take leadership positions in science.
Fellowship opportunities are offered throughout the year, and each fellowship is expected to last 1-2 years to allow enough time for research, implementation, and development. Projects are determined by USP scientific leadership to ensure alignment with mission impact priorities, and USP staff have the flexibility to determine if they would like to recruit fixed-term postdoc Fellows to conduct research within USP, or collaborate with external academic institutions and their postdocs to conduct the research in their university setting.
General criteria for evaluating fellowship proposals are strategic relevance, scientific quality and research feasibility.
Eligibility requirements include:
USP provides competitive first year seed funding to support the kickoff of fellowship projects. USP Fellows are matched with USP mentors who provide tools, guidance, and collaboration opportunities related to their research. USP mentors work closely with Fellows to monitor scientific progress, and Fellows are required to present a lecture to USP staff during or following the project.
Fellowship projects typically focus on the following topics:
There are no open calls for proposals at this time; however, if you’re interested in applying to be a USP Fellow, please email science@usp.org to learn more.
Excipient characterization
Dr. Chesterman examined Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) excipients to determine manufacturer-to-manufacturer and batch-to-batch variability, as well as evaluated advanced analytical techniques for excipient characterization. This research helped build a solid foundation for development of new quality standards and advanced technologies for PLGA excipients. Dr. Chesterman has a Ph.D. in Chemical/Biomedical Engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Mentors: Catherine Sheehan, DRSc., M.S, M.S. (USP); Hong Wang, Ph.D. (USP); Peng Zhang, Ph.D. (USP)
Taxonomy
Ms. Martinez is developing a USP taxonomy of over 2,300 subject terms and synonyms describing the pharmaceutical and compendial process. This taxonomy will be applied to a pilot expert-seeker tool that will facilitate the online search of experts at USP. Ms. Martinez has a Master’s in Library Science/Information Management from University of Maryland.
Mentors: Brandon Barrett, Pharm.D. (USP); Lindsey Clawson, MBA (USP)
Mass Spectrometry
Dr. Archer-Hartmann is developing characterization methods of monoclonal antibodies for mass spectrometry to be used as part of a protocol for new USP Reference Standards. Dr. Archer-Hartmann has a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from West Virginia University.
Mentors: Parastoo Azadi, Ph.D. (University of Georgia); Diane McCarthy, Ph.D. (USP)
The USP Scientific Exchange Program is designed to advance the development of scientists committed to pharmacopeial work and foster international recognition and harmonization of USP standards. Scientists from the global regulatory/pharmacopeial community participate in the program to learn USP best practices in the development of public standards that help ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines.
Four 3-month long spots are offered per year through an open and competitive nomination process. USP scientific leadership, with input from regulatory affairs colleagues, selects projects for scientists, conducts outreach, and solicits nominations. Participating Scientists are typically nominated by international drug regulatory bodies, pharmacopoeias, academic institutions, medicine control laboratories, and the private sector. Candidates are reviewed by USP staff against organizational objectives to determine the best qualified candidates.
Scientists are sponsored by USP during their participation in the program. They are matched with USP mentors who provide tools, guidance, and collaboration opportunities related to their research.
Projects typically focus on topics such as monograph modernization, testing and validation procedures enhancement, or general chapters’ development.
For more information, please contact: Melissa Bellon, Senior Manager, Scientific & Technical Writing.
Shaima Abdulilah Kutbi, MSc.
Excipients
Ms. Shaima Abdulilah Kutbi is working with the Novel Excipients Expert Panel to update General Chapter <1074> Excipient Biological Safety Evaluation Guidelines to align with FDA and IPEC guidelines. Ms. Kutbi has a Master of Science in Pharmacology and Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science from King Saud University. She is currently an Evaluation Specialist at the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, where she focuses on evaluating pre-clinical studies and assessing the safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products.
USP Mentors: Jenny Liu, Ph.D.; Anni Chang, Ph.D.; Catherine Sheehan, DRSc., M.S., M.S.
Wala Turkistani, MSc.
Biologics
Ms. Wala Turkistani is working with the Biologics 5 – Advanced Therapies Expert Committee to write an article that summarizes challenges in the field of genome editing. Ms. Turkistani has a Master of Science in Drug Delivery from University College of London and a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from King Saud University. She is currently a Quality Assessor of Biological Products at the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, where she focuses on reviewing advanced therapy applications.
USP Mentor: Ben Clarke, Ph.D.
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