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Details

Posted: 09-Oct-25

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Type: Fellowship

Categories:

Graduate Program

Pharmacy

Job Setting:

Pharmaceutical Science/Industry

Salary Details:

Fellows will receive a competitive stipend and benefit package, including comprehensive health insurance

Additional Information:

Employer will assist with relocation costs.

Novartis BioMedical Research – Fellowships in Early Clinical Development

The Novartis BioMedical Research (BR), in conjunction with MCPHS, offers 5 unique post-PharmD Fellowship programs in Early Clinical Drug Development:

• Biomarker Development (BMD), Recruiting 2 positions
• Early Clinical Development - Translational Medicine, Recruiting 3 positions
• Early Clinical Development – Translational Clinical Oncology (TCO), Recruiting 1 position
• Drug Development Quality Assurance (QA), Recruiting 2 positions
• Regulatory Affairs (RA), Recruiting 1 position

Each two-year program is designed to provide talented candidates with a high-quality, comprehensive and unique postdoctoral experience. Candidates will gain practical industry experience within the early clinical drug development setting at Novartis BR. Candidates will also have opportunities to advance their academic skill set as an adjunct faculty member at MCPHS.

Novartis BR Overview

The Novartis BioMedical Research (BR) is the innovation engine of Novartis. We collaborate across scientific and organizational boundaries, with a focus on powerful new technologies that have the potential to help produce therapeutic breakthroughs for patients.

The Novartis global clinical pipeline includes more than 100 projects and over 500 clinical trials. Within BR, we have more than 6,000 dedicated scientists and physicians, working across 6 global campuses.

Our Culture

We strive to unleash the power of our people, and we cultivate a company culture that is inspired, curious, and empowered.

Our Values

Our 4 core values and behaviors underpin our company culture and summarize how we create an impact on our business and on each other, and they enable us to recognize and reward the time, expertise and ideas that contribute to our success. They provide the foundation for how we do things at Novartis.

• Inspired
• Our purpose answers the desire many people have for meaning and fulfilment in their work, so we want to make sure our people see the huge contribution that their work makes, to empower them to be their best selves every day and achieve their personal and professional goals.
• Curious
• We believe curiosity fuels discovery. To develop innovative medicines and breakthrough healthcare solutions, we need curious minds with a constant desire to learn and a passion to discover new and better ways of doing things.
• Unbossed
• Our people are most creative and productive when they are empowered to shape their work environment and pursue their ideas. We are focusing on encouraging leaders to remove obstacles and to empower their teams to reach their full potential. We are also equipping them with tools to be more self-aware and to set clear goals.
• Integrity
• Be honest. Have courage. Do what is right.

Fellowship Objectives

The Fellowship is comprised of the Novartis BR industry component and MCPHS academic component. Fellows will spend the majority of their time at Novartis BR obtaining real-world clinical trial experience with a smaller portion of time dedicated to MCPHS activities. Over the course of the two-year program, Fellows will:

• Develop knowledge of global regulations and guidelines governing clinical research, such as current Good Clinical Practice (cGCP) and International Council on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines
• Gain practical experience in the drug development process as an integral part of teams working on actual early phase development clinical studies in various phases from start-up through close-out
• Apply clinical and scientific knowledge to understand the design and conduct of early phase clinical studies
• Participate in didactic seminars, workshops, and group forums related to clinical research
• Expand technical writing proficiency of clinical documents such as study protocols and reports
• Strengthen presentation skills at internal meetings and at national conferences

Please see our brochure for additional details.

For more information, please contact us at pharmd.fellowships@novartis.com.

Eligibility

The MCPHS Biopharmaceutical Industry fellows will be selected on a nationally competitive basis. Applicants must have a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an ACPE accredited college of pharmacy at the commencement of the program.

• Candidates must have strong written and verbal communication skills and a strong interest in pursuing a career within the biopharmaceutical industry.
• All candidates must have authorization to work in the United States throughout the duration of the one or two year fellowship. No visa sponsorship will be provided (i.e., TN, H-1B, STEM OPT, etc.).

Application Procedure

To be considered for an interview, please complete a fellowship application on the MCPHS SMApply application portal. Visit https://mcphs.smapply.io/

Please DO NOT request an interview within PPS. Our recruitment teams will contact qualified candidates via email to schedule interviews. 

The MCPHS application portal (SMApply) will open up on Monday, October 6, 2025. Applicants must upload the following application materials to the online portal by Monday, November 3, 2025:

• Letter of intent (addressed to the company specific program director/lead; found in each company brochure)
• Curriculum vitae
• Unofficial college transcript
• Contact information for three references. References will receive an electronic recommendation form to complete separately.

Three recommendation evaluation forms must be submitted no later than November 20, 2025 via the online portal. This is NOT a letter of recommendation but an online form that the recommender will receive for completion from SMApply.

Application Review and Interview Timeline

Following a review of submitted applications, pre-screens and preliminary interviews will begin in October. Additional interviews, including final rounds will take place in December during ASHP. Candidates will be notified if selected for an interview. The process is rigorous and competitive; therefore candidates should submit their applications well in advance of posted deadlines as priority will be given to those who apply early.

ASHP Midyear and  Onsite Interviews

The fellowship program will be conducting in-person interviews at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting in Las Vegas, NV. Attendance is strongly encouraged, but not required. Candidates attending in-person will not be able to interview without registering for both ASHP and PPS. Please refer to the ASHP & PPS website for registration details.

Top candidates may be invited for interviews at the sponsoring company’s location.

AIFA First Offer Date

The choice of a Post-Doctoral Fellowship is an important decision. MCPHS, in conjunction with the Alliance of Industry Fellowship Associates (AIFA), has aligned to extend offers for Fellowships no earlier than December 12, 2025. We believe this is a positive reflection of the cultures our Programs offer, and that culture is a critical consideration in choice of Fellowship. We hope that other academic and non-academic Fellowship Programs will NOT pressure candidates to accept offers prior to this aligned offer date.

We see this respect for candidate choice as a common aspect of each of our Program's cultures. We hope that other academic and non-academic Fellowship Programs will respect this timeline.

Learn more about AIFA affiliated programs.

Onboarding

Final candidates will be required to go through additional screening / onboarding as required by MCPHS.

About MCPHS/Novartis

The Novartis Biomedical Research unit is the innovation engine of Novartis. We collaborate across scientific and organizational boundaries, with a focus on powerful new technologies that have the potential to help produce therapeutic breakthroughs for patients. The Novartis global clinical pipeline includes more than 200 projects and over 500 clinical trials. Within Novartis Biomedical Research, we have more than 6,000 dedicated scientists and physicians, working across 6 global campuses.

Connections working at MCPHS/Novartis