During the first year, the subspecialty resident will identify a research project that broadly relates to pediatric rheumatology and identify a research advisor with the approval of the Pediatric Rheumatology Training Director and the subspecialty resident’s Mentorship Committee.  Subspecialty residents are only allowed to work with research advisors who have a proven research “track record”, ensuring advisors who understand and have successfully carried out research projects, grant applications, publication, etc.  Should the subspecialty resident be interested in pursuing a project which cannot be accomplished within the research programs in progress in the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology at Duke or UNC, the Pediatric Rheumatology Program Director and the Mentorship Committee will determine the feasibility of the proposed project and attempt to identify an advisor and laboratory in which to perform the research.  If the subspecialty resident wishes to pursue a clinical research project, they will be encouraged to get additional didactic training through the Duke Clinical Scholar’s program or the Masters in Public Health program at UNC.  In addition, the subspecialty resident is required to attend Basic Science Research conferences in the first year which exposes them to many of the researchers at Duke University Medical Center, both in and out of the departments of pediatrics and medicine. Through this conference which is organized by Dr. David Pisetsky, they begin to learn about experimental design, data management and analysis, and laboratory techniques used in rheumatology research. The participation of the subspecialty residents in journal club in the first year during which papers are critically reviewed adds to their initial exposure to principles of research.  First year subspecialty residents are also required to attend Immunology Teaching Rounds twice per month where topics in basic immunology and basic immunology research are discussed.