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.

Strategies

The Medical Research Program strives to accomplish its mission through the following strategies:

• Clinical Research

This strategy supports competitive award programs that build the clinical research career ladder and expand clinical research frontiers to advance the translation of biomedical discoveries into applications that improve human health.


• African Health Research

This strategy supports implementation research and builds research capacity to improve health and strengthen regional health systems in sub-Saharan Africa.

Grants Awarded

As of December 31, 2008, the Medical Research Program has approved approximately 339 grants totaling approximately $179 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.”

In keeping with the wishes expressed in Doris Duke's will, the Medical Research Program does not fund research that utilizes animals.