The application window for the 2025-2026 Duke Scholars in Molecular Medicine (DSMM) career training program will open April 21 and run through May 12.
Supported by CTSI Workforce Development, the DSMM program is open to basic science doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows. Through a competitive application process, approximately 25 scholars are selected each year. The training program helps scholars rethink basic science research in continuum with unmet clinical needs of adults and children.
“We hope to prepare a new generation of scientists to better address critical problems in human health and to develop productive collaborations with clinical partners to achieve greater success in garnering research support,” said DSMM Director Neil Surana, MD, PhD, assistant professor in pediatrics at Duke. “By the end of the program, we hope that our DSMM program scholars will have a new understanding of and perspective for clinically impactful research.”
The nine-month program will accept competitive applicants in four training tracks, including infectious disease; endocrinology, metabolism, and cardiovascular disease; neurosciences; and oncology and cellular therapies. Each track is directed by physician-scientists with clinical and research expertise in the training focus area.
“Within each track, scholars will have the unique opportunity to gain firsthand exposure to the clinical areas related to their field of basic research and learn about the bench-to-bedside translational process,” said Molly Matlock, DSMM program administrator and senior program coordinator for CTSI Workforce Development. “Through the program, scholars will understand key aspects of clinical trials, identify unmet clinical needs that may be addressed through their scientific expertise, and develop confidence in interacting with and engaging clinician partners.”
The program will run from September 2025 through May 2026. The application deadline is May 12 at 11:59 p.m. Learn more about DSMM and the application process and apply, beginning April 21.