# Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR) - NHLBI

> **NIH NIH R38** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $308,524

## Abstract

ABSTRACT / PROJECT SUMMARY
In response to a 30-year decline in the number of physician-scientists, attributed to prolonged clinical training,
doubling or tripling of education debt, uncertain grant funding prospects, unclear career trajectories, and a lack
of mentored research opportunities during early clinical training, the NIH started the Mentored ResearchPathway
in Residency R38 program. Residency training, a critical step in physician training, is often carried out by training
programs that do not support physician-scientist development. Significant gaps exist for protected research
time, structured trainingand mentoring, and support to continue researchafter returningto the clinic. The primary
goal of the multidisciplinary Duke NHLBI Scientist-Clinician-Investigator Stimulating access to Research during
Residency (Duke SCI-StARR) program is to train a diverse cadre of physician-scientists who will lead the
development, implementation, and evaluation of new clinical modalities to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease
states affecting the heart, lungs, and blood throughout the life-course. Duke NHLBI SCI-StARR trainS residents
across 3 departments: Pediatrics, Medicine, and Surgery in areas along the full biomedical research
continuum (basic/translational, early phase clinical trials and pharmacokinetics, and late phase clinical
trials and outcomes) with a theme of improving health over the life course. The program will consist of four
training aims: 1) comprehensive didactics covering basic, translational, and clinical research and professional
development; 2) development and completion of a research project and an individualized career development
plan; 3) establishment of a track record of scholarly activity; and 4) eligibility for board certification and
continuation to subspecialty training. Duke NHLBI SCI-StARR will be led by an Executive Committee (EC) of
MPIs Mai K. ElMallah, MD (Pediatrics), Scott Palmer, MD, MHS (Medicine), and David Harpole, Jr., MD
(Surgery), and an Expanded EC of Residency Program Directors and Program Coordinators, capitalizing on a
team of 33 multi-departmental, multi-disciplinary, well-funded, and experienced faculty preceptors. This
application requests support for three Resident-Investigators each year with each trainee to be supported for 18-
24 months of research. Upon completion of the program, these individuals will be capable of transitioning to
research-intense fellowship training, successfully competing for extramural funding to support a path to
independence as physician-scientists, and becoming the next generation of physicians leading and mentoring
trainees in clinically-oriented research of disease states affecting the heart, lungs, and blood. Achievement of
the program's objectives will fulfill urgent medical needs for: 1) more full-time academic physician-researchers
and mentors in medical schools throughout the country and 2) innovations and clinical translation of novel
strategies to improve th...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10794347
- **Project number:** 5R38HL143612-06
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Mai ElMallah
- **Activity code:** R38 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $308,524
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-01 → 2028-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10794347

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10794347, Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR) - NHLBI (5R38HL143612-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10794347. Licensed CC0.

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