# Bridging the Gap to Enhance Clinical Research Program (BIGGER)

> **NIH NIH R25** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $96,980

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The BrIdGing the Gap to Enhance Clinical Research Program (referred to henceforth as the “BIGGER”
program) will provide a high-quality research experience for students in their gap year, defined as the period
after college graduation and prior to enrollment in graduate/professional school. The program will comprise a
partnership between Duke University, the University of North Carolina, and North Carolina Central University
(the nation’s first liberal arts college founded for African Americans) to enhance the diversity of the clinical
research workforce, thereby ensuring that health concerns of underrepresented minorities remain a part of the
national research agenda. Students will be exposed to a hands-on research experience that will encourage
future research careers, and they will obtain career development tools to foster professional success. The
program will expand and complement NIH-sponsored training resources already in place at Duke University
under the leadership of the principal investigators, Dr. Kevin Thomas and Dr. Vivian Chu. This leadership
structure synergistically combines scientific expertise and connections in cardiovascular disease (Dr. Thomas)
with clinical research and career development curriculum expertise (Dr. Chu). In addition, the Duke Clinical
Research Institute (DCRI) offers formal educational and support programs for junior faculty, fellows, residents,
medical students, undergraduates, and high school students, with funding from internal DCRI resources as
well as the NIH. The proposed program represents a unique piece in a continuum of NIH-supported training at
the DCRI that runs the gamut from the high school-level to mid-career faculty. While the proportion of gap-year
students is increasing, there are limited opportunities for these students to engage in a meaningful, career
development experience. This program will be ideally positioned to fill this need using an established
educational infrastructure with a track record of successful trainees.
The program will take place over 6 months. Each participant will be paired with a senior Duke faculty mentor
and will be integrated into the work of the mentor’s team for a collaborative research experience. Participants
will work on an individual scholarly project, which will be original and hypothesis-driven. For the first 3 weeks of
the program, trainees will work with their faculty mentors to develop a solid knowledge base of a specific
clinical question based on a thorough review of the literature. During weeks 4-22, the trainees will develop a 6-
page thesis consisting of a description of the research question, specific aims, methods, and figures/tables for
the study. Throughout the program, didactics will focus on clinical research methods, research ethics, and
writing skills and will be taught by Duke faculty and a dedicated medical writer. Trainees will work with their
mentors throughout the course of the program to review their progress ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9843523
- **Project number:** 5R25HL135304-04
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** VIVIAN H CHU
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $96,980
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-12-15 → 2021-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9843523

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9843523, Bridging the Gap to Enhance Clinical Research Program (BIGGER) (5R25HL135304-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9843523. Licensed CC0.

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