The information below summarizes research training opportunities in basic, clinical, and translational research at Duke University and beyond.
There are multiple sources of Duke support for undergraduate students interested in pursuing research projects, and there are research programs across the country to which Duke students may apply to become engaged in important research. For more information about undergraduate research opportunities at Duke and elsewhere, please visit the Duke Undergraduate Research Support Office.
There are numerous research opportunities for medical students in the Department of Pediatrics, from bench top to translational to clinical research. The third year at the Duke University School of Medicine represents a unique opportunity for the student to broaden his or her background in the biomedical and social sciences which are the basis of clinical medicine. The primary goal of the third year is to develop tomorrow's physician leaders through a rigorous scholarly experience in biomedical-related research.
For a list of the approved faculty mentors and research programs and additional information about the third year, please visit the Medical Student Education section of this web site.
The Duke Pediatric Research Scholars Program (DPRS) is dedicated to training young physician-scientists and preparing them for successful careers in academic medicine. The program focuses on the period from the completion of the MD, MD/PhD, or DO/PhD degree through residency and fellowship training, with the goal of achieving a full-time academic appointment as an investigator. The DPRS combines the intensive clinical training environment of Duke Children’s with the rigorous scientific training of the world-renowned laboratories at Duke University.
The R38 Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (SCI-StARR) grants provide a competitive training pathway that allows 18 months of protected research time in a 4-year residency. The program is currently open to residents from the Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics and Surgery. The SCI-StARR program provides research mentoring, funding for research and travel expenses, and eligibility for a new NIH early career award (K38 Stimulating Access to Research in Residency Transition Scholar).
The NIH funded T32 training grants listed below are available via a competitive application process to Pediatrics fellows interested in pursuing research. Additional T32 programs within other departments may also be relevant, depending on the research focus of trainees.
- Research Training in Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Duke/UNC, Duke PI: John Sleasman, MD
- UNC-Duke Collaborative Clinical Pharmacology Postdoc Training, Duke PI: Michael Cohen-Wolkowiez, MD, PhD
- Unified Program for Therapeutics in Children (UPTiC), Duke/UNC, Duke PI: Kanecia Zimmerman, MD
The Duke Department of Pediatrics holds a Child Health Research Career Development Award (CHRCDA) from the NIH/NICHD (K12-HD105253), entitled Duke Center for Advancement of Child Health (CAtCH). Under the leadership of the Principal Investigators Ann Reed, MD and Corinne Linardic, MD PhD, Duke CAtCH is intended to foster the maturation of pediatric early-career investigators into independent physician-scientists who are skilled in cutting-edge methods of laboratory and clinical research and who pursue long-term academic careers investigating important issues related to child health.
For a complete list of K12 awards at the Duke School of Medicine, please visit the Mentored Career Development Awards website.
The Improvement Science Leadership Course (ISLC) is a department-sponsored nine-month longitudinal series with didactic & experiential learning sessions and one-on-one coaching. The course will develop productive quality improvement leaders.
The Department of Pediatrics supports ongoing career development for physician-scientists through monthly Faculty Development Lunches. This program connects faculty with experts within the department and across the School of Medicine. Topics are selected by junior faculty, and sessions are open to all pediatrics faculty.
The Duke Office of Scientific Integrity provides research support through its Advancing Scientific Integrity, Services and Training Program (ASIST) Office. ASIST oversees the Responsible Conduct of Research Program (RCR) and provides support to research teams to ensure research best practices.
The Duke Office for Faculty Development offers leadership, financial, research and professionalism training programs for Duke School of Medicine faculty. Additionally, programs such as ADVANCE-UP and ALICE provide training especially for underrepresented populations and women in medicine.
The Office for Research Mentoring helps School of Medicine faculty navigate research careers at Duke. Their programming focuses on helping junior faculty write successful grant applications in an increasingly competitive environment.
The Office of Physician-Scientist Development (OPSD) serves as a central resource for physicians and trainees who seek additional research career development. The OPSD coordinates with research training programs across the School of Medicine to provide complementary training opportunities.
The Duke School of Medicine Clinical Research Training Program provides academic training in the quantitative and methodological principles of clinical research. Designed primarily for clinical fellows who are training for academic careers, the program offers formal courses in research design, research management, medical genomics, and statistical analysis.
Formal education is an essential part of a successful research career, and the Duke University graduate schools offer a broad range of classes and seminars. The Employee Tuition Assistance Program provides reimbursement of tuition for classes taken at Duke or any other higher educational institution accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools with a physical presence in North Carolina. For detailed information, please visit the Duke Human Resources web site.