Our Commitment
Our office is fundamentally committed to advancing inclusion to ensure that all members of our community in the basic sciences can bring their full, authentic selves into the training environment.
Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard.
All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.
The IDEALS Office seeks to maximize the recruitment and retention efforts for individuals from all backgrounds and lived experiences.
Working closely with campus partners such as the Graduate School and Office of Postdoctoral Services at Duke, and the Office of Diversity & Inclusion and the Office of Biomedical Graduate Education within the Duke School of Medicine, the IDEALS office serves trainees, faculty, and staff in the biomedical sciences to provide access to university-wide resources and support systems.
Our Vision and Framework
The core tenets of the IDEALS Office include developing and implementing programs and initiatives to enhance consistency, accountability, infrastructure to support inclusion efforts, and cultivate a strong sense of belonging among our trainees.
We will accomplish these goals by:
- Attracting and recruiting highly skilled and ambitious trainees in the biomedical sciences
- Promoting the importance an inclusive research environment for trainees, faculty, and staff that celebrates collaboration
- Providing training and resources to faculty to increase effective mentoring practices
- Identifying, developing, and delivering resources for trainees to enhance research self-efficacy, scientific identity, and overall well-being
- Connecting students to a robust network within academic, organizational, and industry settings in the biomedical sciences