The six-week program will give participants interested in science and medicine real hands-on experience in research methodology and writing. Participants are placed in teams and matched with Duke faculty mentors to work on an original, hypothesis-driven project, originating as a one-page summary and culminating in a complete research paper. A goal of the program is to have every participant qualify for co-authorship on a peer-reviewed manuscript related to their team’s project.

The STAR Program is held at the Duke Clinical Research Institute in Durham, N.C., which has organized educational and support programs for junior faculty, fellows, residents, and medical students as well as high school and college students. Participants receive a stipend to attend, which makes the program an option even for students who plan to work over the summer break (see below)

Expansions to the STAR Program

In 2024, the program expanded to include a six-week program specifically designed for medical students. The program for medical students is a limited pilot program that we hope to expand. If interested in applying to the program for medical students, please contact the program manager at dukestarprogram@duke.edu.

We are also excited to announce the Duke University-Montana State University (MSU) STAR program partnership for rural and underserved communities offered to undergraduate and medical students enrolled at Montana State University. Click here to learn more.

In the first two weeks of the program, participants meet with their faculty mentors and develop a specific question or issue related to the uses and effects of a particular medication. The teams then perform a thorough review of the literature and develop an in-depth description of the research question. Participants who are 18 years and older will also experience clinical medicine firsthand by shadowing a physician on hospital rounds.

During the in-person weeks, the teams develop a thesis consisting of a description of the research question, aims, methods, figures/tables, results, and discussion for their specific project. Throughout this time, a medical writer provides tutorials on developing a scientific manuscript, a statistician provides lectures in applied statistics and works with students to analyze data, and Duke medicine and pediatrics faculty members give lectures on neonatology, antimicrobial therapy, and pharmacoepidemiology. The program also includes a medical ethics seminar on the responsible conduct of research.

To review progress and ensure the scientific validity of their work, program participants meet with their mentors weekly. At the conclusion of the program, teams do a formal presentation and complete a written thesis of their project. The papers are included in articles submitted to peer-reviewed scientific journals, meaning that the participants have the potential of having their work published.

Publishing research can be a critical step toward a scientific or medical career. It provides recognition from the scientific community and an opportunity to build relationships with others who are doing research in the field, who can provide feedback and offer ideas for future research. Publishing also provides the opportunity to get results out into the world. Even if research findings are groundbreaking, they will not make any difference if no one knows about them and cannot apply them to real patients.

Some examples of previously published articles by Duke's STAR program participants include:

The program capitalizes on world-renowned training programs in place at Duke University under the leadership of Danny Benjamin, MD, PhD, distinguished professor of pediatrics at Duke and deputy director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute. Other faculty in the STAR Program are actively involved in NIH-sponsored research in clinical pharmacology, therapeutics, trials, and pharmacoepidemiology. Combined, these faculty members have more than 200 publications on which trainees are listed as either first author or co-author. The team of instructors also includes a writing instructor, a statistician, and operations staff. View profiles of the instructional team members.

Eligibility

• Anyone may apply to the Duke STAR program; however, only students enrolled at Montana State University or University of Washington’s WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) program are eligible to apply to the Duke University-MSU STAR program partnership for rural and underserved communities.
• Middle and high school teachers, rising junior and senior high school students, preferably rising seniors, and undergraduates are encouraged to apply.
• No prior experience in research is necessary. Applicants only need to demonstrate strong academic performance and an interest in science.
• U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is required for participation (per NIH policy).
• The STAR Program is committed to ensuring a diverse participant group. Consistently around 50 percent of the class is made up of underrepresented minorities.

Compensation

A stipend is provided to participants, which makes the program an option even for students who planned to work over the summer break.

• College and medical students receive $3,200.
• High school students receive $2,600.
• Teachers participating in the program are compensated $8,000 for the 6-week commitment
• The only costs associated with the program are housing and transportation. Participants are responsible for securing their own room and board.

Application Period

• Montana WWAMI TRUST Program Medical Students: October 1–October 31, 2024*
• For College & High School Students, and Teachers: November 18, 2024–January 3, 2025.**
• MSU Undergraduate Students: November 18, 2024–January 3, 2025.**

Other medical students interested in this program should seek pre-approval to apply (email: dukestarprogram@duke.edu).

*Applications must be received by October 31, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Applications received with a date and time stamp of November 1, 2024, or later will not be considered.

**Applications must be received by January 3, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Applications received with a date and time stamp of January 4, 2025, or later will not be considered.

Application Instructions & Links

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions may be submitted via email to STAR Program dukestarprogram@duke.edu. We regret that we are unable to respond to phone calls.