Duke-Cook Children’s RISE-STAR Affiliate Program

Duke University-Cook Children’s Medical Center Research Initiative for Student Exploration (RISE) Summer Training in Academic Research Program (STAR) Program Partnership

Every advance in children’s health begins with a question, and with someone trained to pursue it. Beginning in summer 2027, the Cook Children’s RISE-STAR Affiliate Program will give Texas high school students the chance to pursue those questions within a working pediatric research program, with mentorship and training in high-quality clinical research. This inaugural cohort, based in Fort Worth, Texas, is an extension of the Summer Training in Academic Research Program (STAR) and will include a community of approximately eight students and seven faculty and staff who will train at Cook Children’s Medical Center.
Banner identifying Cook Children's as a participating site in the STAR research network.

Each RISE-STAR participant will be paired with a mentor who is engaged in an active pediatric study and contributes to that work over the course of the summer. Short courses and small-group sessions in research methods, scientific writing, and professional development will complement the hands-on work. Hence, students gain both vocabulary and the practical skills necessary to conduct clinical research. Students will conclude the summer program by presenting what they have learned through a capstone presentation, a research poster, or both.

Mentors are a multidisciplinary group of Cook Children's faculty and staff members, including physician investigators, research scientists, program coordinators, educators, and research operations personnel, who are deeply connected to a range of clinical and research specialties.

*Students will receive a stipend for participation in the program.

Eligibility

Please note that for the 2027 program, eligible applicants for the RISE-STAR Program are:

  • Texas high school students, including students who are homeschooled at the high school level, and
  • Applicants who will be at least 16 years old on the first day of the in-person program.

Program Dates

The in-person experience will take place at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, from June 7 to July 9, 2027.

Due Dates, Links, and Contacts

Application Due Date: Dec. 1, 2026—Jan. 4, 2027

Please submit the following:

  • Completed application for high school students.
  • School transcript.
  • Two letters of recommendation provided by nonrelatives. Letters are to be submitted by the person who wrote the letter by the application deadline.
  • Essay: “What I want to be, and how I’m going to make it happen” (300- to 500-word limit).

The application cycle is not yet open. Please check back in fall 2026.

Contact: Throy Campbell, PhD

Additional Contacts

Students outside of Texas: Please see the STAR Program main page