In December 2006, Dr. Victor Dzau convened a group of faculty from across the medical center to identify priorities for strengthening science at Duke Medicine and to keep the institution on track in meeting those priorities.
The group, known as the Science Advisory Council, includes faculty involved in basic research, clinical research, health outcomes research, and translational research, and who come from many of the medical school’s basic science and clinical departments and from the School of Nursing.
Dr. Dzau has allocated $500,000 to the Science Council to fund programs it develops to meet opportunities to strengthen science at Duke Medicine.
In its first year of operation (2007), the Science Council identified two important opportunities to support innovation and creativity.
Continuation of Research Study for Third Year Medical Students
The first Science Council program is Continuation of Research Study for Third Year Medical Students. This program, with an application deadline of April 1 through the Office of Medical Education, will provide funds for three to five third-year medical students per year who become so excited by their third year research project that they want to continue the work for an additional year and whose mentors enthusiastically support their continuation. Download the application form (Word document).
High Risk/High Impact Pilot Funds Program
The second Science Council program is the High Risk/High Impact Pilot Funds Program, which will provide up to $75,000 each to three regular rank faculty members to delve into new lines of research not covered by current sources of funding.
The Science Council will consider one proposal per regular rank faculty member; the deadline for the first round of funding is April 21, 2008.
See the request for proposals
See the budget template for these proposals (XLS file, 20 KB)
These pilot grants are intended to help faculty pursue highly innovative research that is outside of the scope of their current lines of investigation, for which they may have limited or no preliminary data, and which, if successful, offer the potential for high reward -- in terms of future external funding and a change in the course of the faculty member’s research, among other potential benefits.
For more information about the Chancellor’s Science Advisory Council or its programs, contact Joanna Downer at 919-681-8272 or joanna.downer (at) duke.edu.
Science Council Membership
See who's on the Chancellor's Science Advisory Council:
2008
2006-2007
