On December 1^st, 2011 the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Foundation announced that Johns Hopkins University and the University of Washington will each receive a $250,000 grant to establish a three-year graduate certificate program.  Formally known as the PhRMA Foundation Center of Excellence for a Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) Educational Program the goal of this program is to initiate the process of organizing, building, and delivering university based M.S. and Ph.D. curricular programs in U.S. colleges and schools to instill knowledge and hone CER skills in students.  As part of the grant, both universities are required to collaborate with one another to help produce high caliber comparative effectiveness researchers and practitioners who interpret and use research results to help improve health outcomes.  Information about the criterion for the award is available at http://phrmafoundation.org/download/CERcriterion.pdf.  For more information on PhRMA and the full press release regarding the recent foundation awards please visit http://www.phrmafoundation.org.