According to the Pfizer Fellowship website, the use of clear health communication is an important component in a patient's ability to understand and act upon health information, especially for patients that suffer from low health literacy. This can include a patient's ability to follow instructions after a visit, to manage a chronic illness, or to take a medication properly. For healthcare practitioners, clear health communication guides which words are used, how directions are given, and what materials are presented when communicating with patients. This award is meant to support the career development of talented junior researchers.

The proposed research should focus on replicable and sustainable interventions that aim to improve outcome measures for low health literacy individuals and/or populations through the use of clear health communication approaches. The Board encourages applications that:

• Focus on one of the following leading public health topics: diet/exercise, smoking cessation, prevention, disease management and adherence.
• Incorporate interdisciplinary approaches and knowledge.
• Bridge the academic and practicing communities.

One grant of US$130,000, paid over two years, is primarily intended for salary support. The applicant must demonstrate that at least 75% of his/ her professional time will be devoted to research.



United States citizens or foreign nationals with United States permanent resident status (proof required) who have a doctoral-level degree and postdoctoral training appropriate for the research proposed are encouraged to apply. The applicant should have relevant research experience and have an appointment as a postdoctoral fellow/trainee or equivalent at an accredited academic or research institution and will not hold a full-time tenure track faculty position or the equivalent in the first year of this fellowship.

Click here to download the fellowship brochure with application details in PDF format.

Click here to apply online (registration needed).