Medical students walking in hallway

Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination

The Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) is embedded within the Duke University School of Medicine and the Duke University Health System, providing a rich academic environment committed to education, training, research, and clinical care of cancer patients. We support approximately 1,500 active Duke Cancer Institute (DCI)-affiliated trainees from high school students in the Durham community through junior faculty.

High School Students

Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) offers research and shadowing experiences to high school students. See the Duke Clinical Translational Science Institute's (CTSI) Center for Pathway Programs for a comprehensive listing of biomedical research opportunities.

BOOST

The NIH-funded (Science Education Partnership Award) Building Opportunities and Overtures in Science and Technology (BOOST) program is designed to excite middle and high school public school students. BOOST features research experiences, individual mentoring, and coaching by medical and graduate students. 

STAR

The Clinical Translational Science Award-funded Duke Summer Training in Academic Research (STAR) Program provides a high-quality, eight-week research experience for high school students, middle and high school teachers, and undergraduate students focusing on pharmaco-epidemiological research and writing. STAR program participants are matched with Duke faculty mentors to work on an original, hypothesis-driven project. They also receive training in scientific writing, applied statistics, the responsible conduct of research, and have the opportunity to shadow a physician. 

Undergraduates

Duke Preparing Research Scholars in Biomedical Sciences (PRIME) Cancer Research Program 

This NIH-funded program is for rising undergraduate juniors and seniors interested in pursuing biomedical research training. This eight-week, in-person summer program focuses on gaining hands-on research experience in cancer-related labs. It also includes didactic instruction in cancer biology and professional development opportunities. The program is augmented by continued virtual engagement throughout the year. 

The Summer Undergraduate Research in Pharmacology and Cancer Biology Fellowship Program (SURPH)

This program is for rising undergraduate juniors and seniors interested in future graduate study. This ten-week summer research experience focuses on learning how scientific discovery at the bench can be translated into treating disease. It exposes students to the connection between biomedical research and drug discovery and creates networking opportunities for students to pursue graduate study. The program is hosted by the Duke Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology and funded by the ASPET Foundation.

The Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP) 

This programs provides a 10-week hands-on experience in biomedical research for students considering a PhD program. The SROP offers direct laboratory experience, weekly research seminars and roundtable discussions, academic and career-planning workshops, GRE preparation, mock interviews for graduate school, and a closing symposium where the students present their research. 

Post-Baccalaureates

Duke Preparing Research Scholars in Biomedical Sciences (PRIME) Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP)

PRIME-PREP offers a one-year immersive research and career development program for recent baccalaureate graduates. This program is focused on students who are interested in pursuing a PhD in biomedical sciences. 

DIRECT Cancer Fellowship Program

DIRECT is a one-year program for recent baccalaureate graduates interested in cancer research. It provides mentoring and training focused on professional development, science communication, and cancer research. It is focused on individuals interested in pursuing graduate or medical school. 

Graduate and Medical Students

T32 Training Grants 

CRTEC supports pre-doctoral training through several institutional T32 training grants, including the T32 in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology directed by Debra Silver, PhD; the T32 in Cell and Molecular Biology, directed by Michael Boyce, PhD; the T32 in Tissue Engineering, directed by Charles Gersbach, PhD; and the T32 in Viral Oncology, directed by Micah Luftig, PhD. 

Duke Scholars in Molecular Medicine Oncology and Regenerative Medicine

This nine-month program is designed for PhD candidates and postdoctoral associates who are studying basic sciences to gain hands-on experience in oncology. It includes rotations in clinics and the hospital, a case conference series, a clinical trial-oriented journal club, and a special seminar series in which the groups interact with accomplished translational scientists. 

Duke School of Medicine Third-Year Program

This program is unique in its dedication to a 10- to 12-month rigorous scholarly experience in biomedical-related research. Study programs include Radiation Oncology and Molecular Medicine with an Oncological Sciences track. 

Biosciences Collaborating for Research Engagement (BioCoRE)

BioCoRE offers highly-mentored research experiences, programs designed to build skills in scientific excellence, structured mentoring experiences between peers, graduate students, and faculty, and personalized career advising. 

Residents/Fellows/Post-Doctoral Associates

The DCI provides an exceptional training environment for outstanding medical fellows completing training in cancer care. Fellows may apply to the following programs: adult medical hematology/oncology, pediatric hematology/oncology, radiation, neuro-oncology, and gynecological oncology. 

CRTEC supports post-doctoral training through highly successful institutional T32 training grants. Theese include: 

There are also broader training grants that serve as a foundation for cancer research, including the T32 in Aging directed by Harvey Cohen, MD, and the T32 in Genomic Medicine directed by Kathleen Cooney, MD.

Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA)-funded TL1 Program

The TL1 consists of two programs: a pre-doctoral program and a post-doctoral program. The pre-doctoral program is a two-year master's program in clinical research for medical students. The post-doctoral program provides two years of funding for postdocs. 

DCI Internal Funding Mechanisms

The DCI directly supports postdocs, residents, and fellows engaged in cancer-related research through pilot project funding. Learn more about internal funding opportunities. 

Robert J. Lefkowitz Society 

Directed by Gerard Blobe, MD, PhD, this program provides mentoring and research support for physician-scientists in residency and fellowship programs at the Duke University School of Medicine who are pursuing careers with a primary focus on basic and translational research. The Lefkowitz Society provides mentoring, networking, and funding for travel to scientific conferences, including the annual American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) meeting in Chicago. Exceptional residents and fellows are provided resources to carry out research projects during their clinical training. 

Junior Faculty

DCI Internal Funding Mechanisms

The DCI directly supports junior faculty engaged in cancer-related research through pilot project funding. These include the DCI Young Investigator Award and the Duke American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant Pilot Awards. Learn more about internal funding opportunities.

Health Disparities Cancer Research Education 

The Duke Cancer Health Disparities P20 SPORE, funded by NIH, focuses on developing new and improving existing interventions and therapies through a better understanding of cancer disparities prevalent in the Duke Cancer Institute catchment area. The Developmental Research Program (DRP) of the P20 SPORE funds two young investigators annually with the goal of growing the cancer disparities research community. 

Duke Physician-Scientist Strong Start Awards Program 

The Strong Start Awards Program supports new laboratory-based physician-scientists as they develop independent research programs. The 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.  

Leadership Development for Researchers (LEADER) Program 

The Duke LEADER Program is a six-month series designed to equip junior faculty researchers with the knowledge and professional competencies to effectively lead dynamic scientific research enterprises, including discovering and developing leadership skills, promoting collaboration, fostering innovation and teamwork, and managing conflict. 

Other Opportunities 

The DCI supports training across the continuum by sponsoring: 

Additional Duke Resources

This page was reviewed on 09/15/2023