Research projects led by the DCRI contributed significant funding to the School of Medicine’s total.
Duke University School of Medicine was awarded more than $608 million in federal funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2021, ranking third nationally among academic medical centers, up from 10th last year, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research.
The Blue Ridge ranking—an annual, independent analysis of NIH research funds to colleges and universities—places eight clinical science departments and two basic science departments in the School of Medicine among the top 10 in the country:
#1 for Pediatrics
#1 for Surgery
#2 for Orthopedics
#5 for Neurosurgery
#6 for Internal Medicine
#8 for Anesthesiology
#9 for Genetics
#9 for ENT
#10 for Pharmacology
#10 for Ophthalmology
“Duke’s top ranking for NIH research funding is an obvious testament to the outstanding work done here by faculty, staff, and trainees, and I am delighted that DCRI’s research contributed greatly to such an honor,” said Adrian Hernandez, MD, MHS, executive director of the DCRI. “DCRI’s stellar teams that develop study concepts and proposals and then oversee the execution are testimony to why our institute can be awarded such a large amount of federally-funded research.”
DCRI-led research coordinating centers drove a significant portion of the NIH funding awarded to the Duke University School of Medicine. In many instances, that research was related to COVID-19—an area in which DCRI is also a leader at Duke.
Major contributors to these rankings for NIH research include a number of DCRI faculty members and key collaborators:
Danny Benjamin, MD, PhD, MPH
Michael (Micky) Cohen-Wolkowiez, MD, PhD
Vance Fowler, MD, MHS
Steven Z. George, PhD
Adrian Hernandez, MD, MHS
Warren Kibbe, PhD
Susanna Naggie, MD
Kristin Newby, MD
Brian Smith, MD, PhD, MPH, MHS
Kanecia Zimmerman, MD, MPH
“The amount of research funding awarded to Duke scientists by the NIH is a key measure of excellence across all of our missions,” said Mary E. Klotman, dean of the Duke University School of Medicine. “These rankings reflect the hard work, dedication and innovation of our outstanding faculty and research staff, and their commitment and contributions to scientific discovery and advancing care for our patients.”
The NIH is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, investing more than $41 billion a year to advance research aimed at improving health.