Applications due August 25, 2025
The central mission of the Unified Program for Therapeutics in Children (UPTiC) is to train pediatrician-scientists to lead the development, implementation and evaluation of novel prophylactics and therapeutics for pediatric populations. By bringing together the remarkable breadth and strength of basic and clinical sciences at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, we have developed an integrated, pediatric research-focused training program available to all pediatric fellows centered on the fundamentals and practical aspects of research and development of therapeutics for children. Complementary strengths of the individual institutions offer synergy to the research and training missions of this program. This program fosters a fertile environment that spans departments and schools with an exceptionally broad range of training opportunities and mentors across each University, located just 9 miles apart.
UPTiC Training Plan Overview
Key elements of the training plan include:
Core Didactic Training:
- UPTiC Orientation
- UPTiC Colloquium (monthly, including didactics, journal clubs and works-in-progress discussions)
- UPTiC Symposium (annually)
- Department of Pediatrics Research Forums (Duke and UNC)
- Opportunity for Advanced Degrees
- Mandatory Participation in National Meetings
- Presentation skills training
- Ethics training and consultation
- Grant writing skills development
Research Mentorship and Scholarship Oversight
- Mentor and Research Project Selection
- Scholarship Oversight Committee (SOC)
- Individualized Development Plan (IDP)
- Meetings with Mentor(s), SOC, and UPTiC MPIs for continuing oversight
Candidates
Candidates will be required to have an MD or equivalent degree, be US Citizens or permanent residents, be engaged in pediatric fellowship training at either Duke or UNC, have prior research experience, and be committed to a research-intensive career as an academic pediatrician. Suitable candidates with both MD and PhD degrees (or plans to acquire a PhD) will be provided special consideration. Trainees will be selected for 2 years of support. Appointments for this year will begin in August/September 2025, or as soon as it is possible once candidates are selected.
*Note, for fellows that may be considering an appointment period of less than 2 years, the NIH payback agreement for all T32 appointees stipulates a criterion that you must fulfill to avoid payback obligations— please reach out to UPTiC contacts below with questions.
*Please discuss with your fellowship program director, and if you have questions about your eligibility or appointment duration, please reach out to the MPI at your institution (Kanecia Zimmerman at Duke and Ian Davis at UNC).
Trainees selected for this honor will be designated Katz-Denny Fellows, recognizing the immense contribution to child health of Drs. Floyd Denny and Samuel Katz, eminent pediatricians, scientific investigators and former Department Chairs of Pediatrics at UNC and Duke, respectively. Once appointed, Katz-Denny Fellows will have at least 75% protected time for research, will receive funds for research-related expenses and travel to present research at a national meeting in their selected field, as well as time and partial funding for masters degree coursework, as applicable.
Mentors
Candidates are required to identify a mentor or mentors prior to applying. Please review the list of approved mentors (below). If an applicant wishes to work with an alternative mentor(s) not included in the list, you may propose it in your application, and UPTiC leadership will consider the request. Approval will be based upon the mentor’s research experience, strength of extramural funding (including NIH funding), enthusiasm/history for mentoring and expertise in one of UPTiC’s three didactic/research tracks. If you have questions, please reach out to the MPI from your institution. *Cross-institutional co-mentorship is encouraged.
Application Components
NIH Style Biosketch for Applicant
Please provide an NIH Style Biosketch, conforming to all requirements as specified by NIH for non-fellowship applications (click here for a blank template). Instructions can be found here.
As part of your Personal Statement in the Biosketch, please include:
- A description of your research interests and intended research project during the time you would be appointed to UPTiC; please name your primary mentor and describe how they will support you.
- Your background and career goals, including how UPTiC will facilitate the achievement of your career goals and any specific training needs beyond those detailed in the UPTiC Training Plan that you will require to accomplish your goals.
Submit Application
Please email your application as a pdf, with the following naming convention: “applicant last name_UPTiC_2025” and copy your primary mentor and fellowship program director by August 25, 2025 to:
Duke candidates: PediatricResearch@duke.edu
UNC candidates: Kate Matthews (skmatthe@email.unc.edu)
Interviews with UPTiC Leadership
Applicants may be contacted by UPTiC administration to schedule interviews with UPTiC leadership.
These interviews will be considered in the overall evaluation of each application.
Review Criteria
Briefly, selection criteria will include applicant career goals and prior research experience, mentor selection, research objectives, and interviewer feedback if applicable.
UPTiC Mentors
***Note, if an applicant wishes to propose an alternative mentor(s) not included in the list below, UPTiC leadership will consider the request. Approval will be based upon the mentor’s research experience, strength of extramural funding, enthusiasm/history for mentoring and expertise in one of UPTiC’s three didactic/research tracks.