Clinical research is the process of using research studies to answer specific health questions.  This may involve observational research, which studies health issues in large groups of people in usual or community setting, or clinical trials, which seek to answer specific questions about drugs, devices, treatments, diet, physical activity, or other interventions to determine if they are safe and effective.

Health services research studies are a subset of clinical research.

Translational research is the process of developing scientific discoveries into knowledge, programs and treatments that improve the health of individuals and their communities.  In basic research, scientists study diseases in the laboratory at a molecular or cellular level.

To improve health, findings from these basic research studies must be translated into practical applications. Translational research transforms scientific discoveries found in the laboratory into ways to prevent, diagnosis or treat disease.

Translational research also describes the process of moving knowledge obtained from clinical research into a wider community or practice setting.

The School of Medicine supports both clinical and translational research:

• Institutional Review Board (IRB) - Biomedical reviews all research involving human subjects conducted by Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University Health System and Duke University School of Nursing.
  
• Clinical Research Support Office (CRSO) provides key financial and administrative infrastructures, regulatory knowledge and support, and education and training for Duke-as-a-Site clinical research projects.
• Duke Translational Medicine Institute (DTMI) established through a Clinical and Translational Service Award from the National Institutes of Health, focuses on the translation of scientific discoveries into clinical practice, with a goal to promoting measurable improvements in community health and making personalized medicine a reality.
• Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) is an academic clinical research organization, combining the clinical expertise and academic leadership of a premier teaching hospital with the full-service operational capabilities of a major contract research organization.
• D.E.D.U.C.E. (Duke Enterprise Data Unified Content Explorer) – an on-line research tool providing Duke investigators with access to clinical information to facilitate exploration of aggregate clinical data.