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The BRIDGE Program educates, mentors, and supports a diverse and talented workforce equipped to improve population health, reduce health disparities, and advance health equity locally and globally.

BRIDGE is a program for graduate students and trainees interested in increasing health equity and reducing health disparities through advanced training or a career in population health sciences. The program aims to foster a diverse community of trainees and encourages applications from members of underrepresented communities.

BRIDGE Provides Four Benefits:

Training

Attend the Duke Population Health Summer Institute (100% tuition scholarship) and take part in professional development courses that include:

• Scientific manuscript writing
• Systematic literature review
• Graduate and medical school applications
• Professional CV and resume development
• Elevator pitches and transition to introductory emails

Mentored Research

Participate in hands-on research activities with mentorship from top faculty and researchers. Faculty mentors provide:

• One-on-one training in a research internship or fellowship
• Support for preparing and submitting scientific publications and external grant funding

Professional Development

Grow your career in a supportive environment and learn critical skills for advancement, including:

• Job search strategies
• Networking and salary negotiation
• Interviewing skills

Transition Support

Get decision-making support that will help advance your career. These include:

• Continued graduate education
• Job placement

Applicants must have a record of superior academic achievement and meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Demonstrate a sustained commitment to diversity through their work or volunteer experience or leadership of student or community organizations. A commitment to diversity may include efforts to reduce health, social, educational, or economic disparities based on race, ethnicity, or gender

• Experience financial hardship as a result of family economic circumstances

• Have a diverse lived experience, such as one based on sexual orientation, rural residence, affiliation with an HBCU/MSI institution, veteran status, disability, etc. 
   
• First-generation U.S. citizen or are the first generation in their family to graduate from a four-year college or university
   
• Available to meet with mentors and attend program-related activities sometime during business hours (Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). 

Currently, we are not accepting applications to the program. Please check back in September 2025

Program Director

• Asheley Skinner, PhD, Vice Chair, Education

Program Co-Directors

• Hayden Bosworth, Ph.D.: Vice-Chair, Research
• Tomi Akinyemiju, Ph.D.: Professor
• Suur Debrah Ayangeakaa, Ph.D: Assistant Professor