How You Can Help

Research helps answer a question. At Duke, our research studies are aimed at answering questions about the best way to manage and care for our vulnerable babies. Some involve a treatment, such as a medicine, a medical test or instrument, while other research studies focus on a clinical process or technique. The common thread through all of our research is the focus on improving the lives of our babies.

Research is the cornerstone to ensuring that our babies receive the best possible care. We manage over 100 individual research projects and  less than half have external funding support. We rely on donations to help bridge the gap that exists between all of the work needed to answer important questions and the unfunded cost of completing this work.  --Kim Fisher, PhD, FNP-BC

We rely on donors to help close the funding gap between the research we manage and the compensation we receive from other sources.

• External funding is not always available for internal projects that are directed toward examining our own practices and making changes directed toward bettering our outcomes for our babies.
• Funding provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is critical to both our research unit and our mission. However, the available funding often falls short of the effort needed to carry out these important projects.

“No one ever imagines their pregnancy journey will involve a stay in the NICU. When our little guy came early, we were quickly thrown into an unfamiliar world of monitors, beeps, and machines to help keep these tiny miracles alive. We were in awe of how it truly takes a village.  With so many medical decisions being made, knowing which options to go with based off of prior research in the neonatal world made us realize how critical it was to keep the research going.  We signed our son up for various research studies because we were so grateful to all of the families who participated in prior research. Without their participation, we wouldn't have been able to make informed medical decisions the way we did. Realizing this, we wanted to pay it forward for families who have to make medical decisions tomorrow. 

We’re grateful for everyone on the Neonatal Perinatal Research Unit for being so kind about explaining things to us. We’re honored to have worked with them during such a unique time in our lives.” - Marinee

Read more parent testimonials

"The NPRU is a gift to early-stage physician-scientists. The NPRU’s research infrastructure, regulatory expertise, and experienced research staff have been invaluable to my own work in parent-provider communication. The NPRU’s investment in investigators early in their careers has helped grow the research pipeline at Duke, and helps ensure that families and patients have sustained access to cutting-edge research. Put simply, our work is made possible by the guidance and support of the NPRU team.” - Monica Lemmon, MD, Pediatric Neurologist

"I’m Ann, the international neonatology fellow from Thailand. With the help from NPRU staff, my life with research is much easier. I feel confident with every step of my project because of their advice and excellent teamwork. I have learned a lot from them about the thinking process and how they organize the project from the start which broadens my experience in the research field. I thank them for everything they’ve done for me and my project.” - Anongnart Sirisabya, MD, International Fellow