Merck Investigator Studies Program offers funding opportunities

• Projects are generally 12 to 24 months in duration
• Project budgets vary by therapeutic area
• Projects must demonstrate a clear endpoint and strong potential for scholarly output
• Review committees carefully consider the feasibility of study recruitment (if applicable)
• Projects submitted by new investigators and early-stage investigators are closely evaluated for mentor involvement

Depending on the therapeutic area of interest, a Merck Regional Medical Scientific Director may direct the investigator to submit a formal concept paper or recommend submission of a full proposal. The assigned RMSD, available from Corporate and Foundation Relations, will provide specific guidance.

All proposals must be submitted using Merck’s VisionTracker portal. This portal does not accept institutional accounts. Rather, the corresponding PI must establish an individual account and assume responsibility for all document uploads. Investigators should select “Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine” as the institutional affiliation when setting up a VisionTracker account.

Merck Investigator Studies Program proposals are reviewed by committees that comprise medical and scientific staff from different therapeutic areas. Review committees generally meet four to six weeks after the submission deadline. Proposals are evaluated for scientific merit as well as for strategic fit. If questions or clarifications arise, a PI may be given the option of resubmitting a revised version of their proposal.

Merck considers the following scientific points as part of its evaluation:

• How well is the study aligned with Merck’s stated Areas of Interest? If not, is the study of extraordinary interest otherwise?
• Does the study answer a specific scientific/medical question with a protocol that is designed to answer the scientific question/aim?
• Is there sufficient justification for the sample size?
• Is a data analysis plan included with the protocol?
• Is there a strong commitment by the PI to publish/disclose the findings?

All investigators at the College of Medicine must notify their respective department grants administrator of their intent to submit to this program. These administrators have the expertise to identify the appropriate forms needed for the project, have the knowledge base to prepare budget documents (if required) and have the working relationships with the Office of Research Affairs to coordinate any internal reviews that are required prior to submission.

Investigators working on clinical projects are strongly advised to interact with the Clinical Trials Office early in the proposal development process to assess budget feasibility.

This quick-reference guide was developed by Research Development at Penn State College of Medicine. See the Merck Investigator Studies Program website for updated information and deadlines.