Duke Awarded Funding to Train Global Health Researchers

Duke is among the recipients of a $20.3 million award from the Fogarty International Center and its partners at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support 400 early-career health scientists on year-long research fellowships in 27 low- and middle-income countries. 

Over the next five years, the Fogarty Global Health Program for Fellows and Scholars will provide five consortia of academic institutions with roughly $4 million each for the training activities of its partner institutions. 

A portion of the $4 million allocated to the consortium led by Vanderbilt University, and includes Cornell and Emory Universities, will support Duke trainees interested in global health research.  Candidates will primarily be selected from research-oriented post-graduate training programs, including but not limited to the Duke Global Health Residency/Fellowship Pathway (GHRF). The GHRF program is a collaboration of the Hubert Yeargan Center for Global Health and the Duke Global Health Institute.

Duke, Vanderbilt, Cornell and Emory have complementary global areas of expertise at diverse international sites to which trainees may apply.

“We’re excited to be a part of this consortium and to offer this opportunity to Duke trainees,” said Nathan Thielman, principal investigator for the Duke site and associate professor of medicine and global health. “This award is a testament to the quality of the Duke model for providing outstanding mentored global health research education experiences to clinicians, as well as the quality of our research and training activities at our partner sites around the world.”

From Kenya and Tanzania to Sri Lanka, South Africa and Nicaragua, Duke trainees have studied global health issues, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, malaria and other infectious diseases, maternal and child health, mental health, environmental health, and head injuries from motorcycle accidents.  In tandem with this clinical research experience, many of the trainees are enrolled in, or have completed, the Duke Master of Science in Global Health.

“In combining the enthusiasm of today’s young scientists with the knowledge and wisdom of America’s global health leaders, we are forming a powerful network to produce a new generation of stellar researchers capable of working in the global arena,” said Roger I. Glass, director of the Fogarty International Center.

The Fogarty Global Health Program for Fellows and Scholars aims to enhance the career paths of its participants, strengthen the global health research programs at U.S. and foreign institutions, and bolster networking opportunities among program alumni and senior scientist mentors.  Since 2004, Fogarty has supported more than 500 fellows and scholars for significant hands-on, clinical research training experiences in low- and middle-income countries.