Partner Programs

In September 2018, Duke University School of Medicine received one of five Burroughs Wellcome Fund Physician-Scientist Institutional Awards.  The program, which is led by Rasheed Gbadegesin, MD, MBBS, and a team of School of Medicine faculty, strives to enhance research excellence in laboratory-based science.  The BWF PSIA provides the foundational organization of the OPSD and works across all four of the OPSD service areas, specifically to enhance the pipelines and training experiences of MD-only physician-scientists who are pursuing laboratory-based research.

The Centre for Clinician-Scientist Development (CSSD), under the Office of Research in Duke-NUS, is led by Professor Koh Woon Puay.  It consolidates support and nurtures clinician-scientists, spanning from graduating Duke-NUS students to aspiring clinician-researchers across the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre.

The Duke Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) is housed in the Clinical and Translational Research Institute and catalyzes the translation of scientific discoveries into health benefits for communities through collaborative research.  It provides key infrastructure, resources, and  learning opportunities for translational researchers at Duke and its partners.  The grant supports research through pilot funding, training and career development, as well as core resources with expertise in research design, regulatory policies, biomedical informatics, data sciences, recruitment, participant interactions,  community engagement, special populations, team science, and workforce development.

This R38 education project is meant to encourage postdoctoral-level health professionals to pursue careers as physician-scientists and clinician-investigators, fulfilling a critical workforce need. Relatively few physicians and other health professionals are pursuing research careers, and existing opportunities may not maintain adequate numbers or diversity of physician-scientists. Duke is  home to four of these programs.  Residents in the program will have a primary research mentor and a scholarship oversight committee that will meet at least twice per year to help residents create an individualized career development plan, including submission for an external individual career development award (NRSA F32 or K38/StARRTs).

Benefits of the program include:

  • An opportunity to apply for a technician/research assistant to maintain research productivity during the years of clinical training
  • Preferential ranking for Duke University School of Medicine subspecialty fellowship program
  • Funds to support conference travel and research needs
  • Eligibility to apply for a new NIH early career award (K38 Stimulating Access to Research in Residency Transition Scholar)
  • Eligibility to apply for the NIH Loan Repayment Program

Duke CARiNG StARR NIA R38 Program

Duke ROR-StARR R38 Program

Duke SCI-StARR R38 Program

Scientists in a lab and clinicians with a young patient

Junior faculty members often face the challenge of working to establish academic careers while simultaneously managing significant caregiving responsibilities. These competing demands make it challenging to succeed in an increasingly competitive grant funding environment, and indeed can be an obstacle to retaining physician scientists at research-intensive academic institutions. To support junior faculty at this critical tipping point in their careers, the Office for Faculty, in partnership with the Office of Physician-Scientist Development, is pleased to offer the Fund to Retain Clinical Scientists at Duke. Supported by an award from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and Dean Mary Klotman, the Fund will provide supplements of up to $30,000-$50,000 per year to physician-scientists with significant care giving responsibilities. Exact award amounts will be dependent upon the availability of funds in a given year.

The Pediatric Scientist Development Program (PSDP) provides intensive training in research relevant to specialty areas of pediatrics.  The goal is to prepare entry-level faculty for research careers in academic pediatrics.  Physicians presently in pediatric training programs who wish to train in basic, translational, clinical or health services research with an established inviestigator.mentor are encouraged to apply. A commitment to an investigative academic carer is essential.

Candidates completing the PSDP are eligible for sub-specialty boards because PSDP training typically takes place after the completion of the clinical fellowship year(s).  Support includes salary, fringe benefits, and research training expenses. The active involvement and support of Pediatric Department Chairs in the nomination.aplication process, and career development of PSDP scholars, are essential to the program's success.

The Duke Strong Start Program is designed to support the careers of young, laboratory-based physician-scientists at Duke through substantive mentoring and financial resources. 

This goal of this program is to nurture the careers of junior faculty who are laboratory-based physician-scientists at Duke. By offering substantive mentoring and financial resources, this award will support junior, physician-scientist faculty during a critical period of their career, the transition to research independence.  Learn more

The Robert J. Lefkowitz Society provides a home for MD and MD/PhD post-graduate trainees in the Duke University School of Medicine, and who are pursuing careers with a primary focus on basic and translational research as physician-investigators.  Through formal and informal mentoring relationship, the Lefkowitz Society provides promising post-graduate trainees with a greater understanding of how to develop successful academic careers.

Lefkowitz Society Members & Alumni