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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.). 

The deadline to apply for the BRIDGE Program is Friday, March 1, 2025.

How to Apply

• Email a 500-word personal statement about how the BRIDGE Program will facilitate your training and career development. Specify any past research experience, current area of focus/interest, and plans for the next step of your training/career.
• Review DPHS faculty profiles and, in your personal statement, identify a Duke Pop Health faculty member whose research closely aligns with your career goals and how this faculty’s mentorship will facilitate your career and research.

For more information regarding the BRIDGE program, please contact Marcie Sinclair.

Currently, it is one year with a start date of June 1 through May 31.

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