The Duke Graduate Program in Pathobiology and Translational Biosciences is committed to promoting diversity at all levels in the biological sciences. We strive to provide a safe and welcoming atmosphere for all students, faculty and staff, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability, nation of origin or political opinion.
Duke University values the broad spectrum of human experience and strives to create an open environment that enriches learning opportunities for all members of the community. At the graduate school level, these efforts are coordinated through the Graduate School Office of Student Affairs and the IDEALS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Advancement, and Leadership) office.
The Graduate School awards competitive Dean's Graduate Fellowships to "students who—by reason of their background, culture, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, work, and life experiences—contribute to a fuller representation of perspectives within the academic life of the University." CMB applicants are nominated by Program and fellowships are supplemental in nature, providing an additional $5,500 per year to the standard stipend.
The Duke BioCoRE Scholars Program provides enhanced opportunities that complement the bioscience undergraduate and graduate programs. The goals of BioCoRE are to increase the diversity of scientists in the biosciences, and to promote student development with research experiences, engagement with faculty, and career development activities. All incoming graduate students are invited to apply, and incoming scholars are eligible for an early-start summer program as well as other community-building acivities throughout the academic year.
The Duke Bouchet Society provides support for underrepresented groups in the natural sciences, technology, engineering and math through scientific presentations/discussions, networking opportunities and recruitment activities.
In support of disabled trainees and students of diverse backgrounds and life experiences, the School of Medicine offers a Biomedical Graduate Fellowship for that provides a $5,000 stipend supplement. Trainees are deemed eligible by the Duke Student Disability Access Office for both accommodation and the fellowship. If you believe you may need and qualify for reasonable accommodations, please visit Duke's Disability Management System (DMS) for detailed information.
Duke University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.
The Department of Pathology has been consistently successful at recruiting under-represented minorities (African, Hispanic, Native American, and Pacific islanders) into its graduate program. Such minorities typically comprise 13% of the student population in the program. Over the years, Duke University has made strong and concerted efforts to recruit under-represented minorities into its various graduate programs. These efforts include providing a Duke Endowment Fund to supplement special minority graduate fellowships.
The Graduate School also has a "Building Bridges" program, in which Duke Faculty visit historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the fall, and faculty from the HBCUs visit Duke in the spring. The Office of Graduate Student Affairs under the leadership of Associate Dean Jacqueline Looney has taken a strong proactive role in minority recruitment, especially into the graduate programs. Dr. Looney is an African-American with strong interests in enhancing minority representation among Ph.Ds. Members of her office have conducted trips across the United States contacting undergraduates interested in graduate school, and providing a database of student information.
For the past 18 years, Duke has conducted a 10 week long summer research program called the Duke Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP), aimed at exposing prospective undergraduate students to basic science research. This program, directed by Dr. Soman Abraham (DGS of the Pathology Department) and Dr. Meta Kuehn (DGS of the Biochemistry Department) and administered by the Graduate Students Affairs office, brings in high caliber and highly motivated minority students from all over the U.S. to receive rigorous training in graduate-level biomedical research. This program, designed for students who are seriously considering joining a Ph.D. Graduate Program following the completion of their undergraduate degree, is extremely successful with most trainees advancing for graduate study at well-known universities such as Harvard, Yale, Michigan, etc. Up to 10% of these students choose to attend Duke University to receive graduate-level training.