Eligibility:

1. United States citizenship or permanent residency.

2. Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or MD/PhD degree.

3. If an MD or MD/PhD, completion of clinical training in medical specialty or Duke faculty appointment for 1-3 years.

4. Commitment to a minimum of 2 years of clinical research training.

5. No more than 2 years of prior support on an NIH training grant.

Application process and forms:

Completed applications are due by January 15, 2010.

Applicants selected for the program will be notified on or about February 19, 2010.

Acceptance of the award must be received by March 5, 2010.

The accepted trainee is expected to begin on or before July 1, 2010.

A complete application includes:

1. Application Form

2. A current curriculum vitae.

3. An official transcript from each post-secondary institution attended, to be sent directly to: Administrative Office of the MCRSP, DUMC 3867, Durham, NC 27710).

4. Three letters of evaluation (evaluation forms are included in the Application ) written by persons knowledgeable about your prior accomplishments and suitability for this program.

5. A three to five page precis of your proposed career development program, including:

   1. Didactic course work offered by the Clinical Research Training Program
      

   2. Internships offered by the Duke Translational Research Institute, Duke Clinical Research Institute, and Duke Center for Community Research

   3. Description of the specific research project you propose to pursue (prepared in collaboration with your proposed mentor).

   4. A timeline that specifies when you propose to enter the program and when you will participate in its various activities.

6. Letter from your proposed scientific mentor indicating his/her willingness to devote at least 5 percent of his/her time and energy to serve in this capacity, and his/her current curriculum vitae.

Selection criteria:

The actual selection of MCRSP candidates will be linked to their proposed research plan and research mentor, as described in the application materials they submit. Using these data, the Executive Committee will rank the applicants.

Depending on the availability of funds, and therefore the number of available spaces, the Executive Committee will recommend the top candidates for acceptance to the Internal Program Advisory Committee (IPAC) for approval. Of particular importance in making these recommendations are:

1. Candidate's prior accomplishments and stated commitment to pursue a career in patient-oriented clinical research;

2. Quality, relevance, and likelihood of success of the proposed research project and the appropriateness of the more formal training in clinical research;

3. Commitment of the trainee to two or more years of research training;

4. Accomplishments and prior training experience of the proposed scientific mentor;

5. Eligibility to receive NIH support, including U.S. citizenship or permanent resident visa

Benefits:

1. Stipends appropriate for the level of training

2. No less than two years of support

3. Incidental research supply support up to $5,000/year

4. Support for travel to two professional meetings per year, up to $4,000/year

5. Tuition, books and fees to pursue the Clinical Research Training Program degree or equivalent degree, up to $10,000/year