Doris Duke Charitable Foundation

Medical Research

Mission

The mission of the Medical Research Program is to support the prevention, treatment and cure of human disease. The Medical Research Program strives to accomplish its mission by supporting clinical research that advances the translation of basic biomedical discoveries into applications that improve human health. The foundation awards competitive grants under three grant-making strategies.

Strategies

Building the Clinical Research Career Ladder

The foundation supports clinical researchers in the U.S. at different stages of their careers through the following competitive award programs:

• Clinical Research Fellowship for Medical Students
• Clinical Scientist Development Award
• Distinguished Clinical Scientist Award

Improving African Health through Research

The foundation supports research-based projects that improve health and strengthen regional health systems in sub-Saharan Africa through the following grant programs:

• African Health Initiative
• Operations Research on AIDS Care and Treatment in Africa Program
• Past AIDS research grants

Expanding Clinical Research Frontiers

The foundation supports innovative and multidisciplinary approaches to clinical research through the following competitive award programs:

• Clinical Interfaces Award Program
• Innovation in Clinical Research Award (currently inactive)

Definition of Clinical Research

Clinical Research is defined by the foundation as research conducted with human subjects including:

• Studies on the etiology and pathogenesis of human disease;
• Therapeutic interventions;
• Clinical trials;
• Epidemiological studies;
• Disease control research that investigates how scientific information on prevention, early detection and early diagnosis can be efficiently applied; and
• Operations and implementation research that uses analytical techniques such as epidemiological modeling and cost-effectiveness analysis to determine how to achieve better health outcomes and optimal service delivery.

Areas Not Funded

The Medical Research Program does not fund research that utilizes animals.

Grants Awarded

As of December 31, 2007, the Medical Research Program has approved approximately 303 grants totaling approximately $161 million. View Grants Awarded.

Doris Duke and Medical Research

Doris Duke was a significant supporter of medical research, making contributions to hospitals and research centers throughout her life. In her will, she expressed her interest in supporting “medical research designed to effectuate cures of major diseases.”