# Duke-North Carolina Central University (NCCU)-Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Training Program in Child Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Conditions Program (DN-IPT)

> **NIH NIH T32** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $189,520

## Abstract

Psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions in children are common, often co-occurring, and can lead to
lifelong challenges that impact quality of life. Moreover, psychiatric disorders that typically do not fully manifest
until adulthood, such as schizophrenia, have their roots in development. The relevance of brain development to
understanding psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions underscores the importance of supporting a
pipeline of investigators trained in research that characterizes when and how differences in brain development
manifest. The Duke-North Carolina Central University (NCCU)-Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Training Program
in Child Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Conditions (DN-IPT) will focus on research training in
developmental approaches aimed at improving the diagnosis and treatment of child psychiatric and
neurodevelopmental conditions including research on developmental antecedents to adulthood psychiatric
disorders. The DN-IPT will enroll three new postdoctoral (MD, MD/PhD, and PhD) fellows per year to become
independent researchers through a 2–3-year course of training. The DN-IPT will provide Trainees with focused,
rigorous, in-depth training in a) our central theme of an interdisciplinary, developmental neuroscience research
approach; and b) one or more of five research methodologies to interrogate this theme: (1) brain imaging; (2)
computational approaches; (3) digital health; (4) interventions; and (5) preclinical models. Cutting across all
trainings, the DN-IPT will emphasize the core values of increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion. A key strength
of the DN-IPT is the partnership between Duke University School of Medicine (DUSM) and North Carolina Central
University (NCCU), one of the largest Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the US, which is
co-located with the DUSM in Durham, NC. The strong DUSM-NCCU partnership is reflected in DN-IPT Faculty
Mentors and Trainees at both institutions, joint trainings and seminars, student research internships, and
Program Directors (MPIs) at both institutions. In addition, the DN-IPT will add needed geographic diversity to
NIMH T32 programs. Fewer than 10% of the NIMH-funded T32 programs are in US Southern states (while nearly
40% of the US population live in the South), limiting the recruitment and engagement of promising trainees. Our
concurrent focus on both child psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions is a unique and synergistic
strength of the DN-IPT in light of the high degree of co-occurrence of these conditions and their combined impact
on a wide range of outcomes. Finally, the DN-IPT will help fill the concerning gap in child psychiatrist-scientists.
We are particularly well positioned to recruit and train child psychiatrists with a child psychiatry residency that
includes physician scientists, strong institutional support to train physician scientists, and robust representation
of child psychiatrist-scientists in the DN-IPT. ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10847843
- **Project number:** 1T32MH132515-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Geraldine Dawson
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $189,520
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-07-01 → 2029-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10847843

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10847843, Duke-North Carolina Central University (NCCU)-Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Training Program in Child Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Conditions Program (DN-IPT) (1T32MH132515-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10847843. Licensed CC0.

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