Doris Duke Charitable Foundation - International Clinical Research Fellowships in Africa

The Office of Student Research at Yale University School of Medicine has been awarded a Doris Duke Charitable Foundation International Clinical Research Fellowship for medical students conducting research in Africa. Up to 3 one year fellowships will be awarded to medical students each year to study HIV/AIDS and related diseases in Africa.

Students will be paired with two mentors, one at Yale and the second at the African institution. The fellowship year is expected to begin on on July 1, 2010, with formal courses that will begin in July 2010 at Yale followed by at least 8 months of research conducted in Africa.

Students must complete an application via the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation website and also submit additional materials that are requested below. Information on mentors at Yale and the African institutions and projects are also available below.

Application Information

Interested students should complete the Doris Duke Common Application Package. The Doris Duke Common Application formal deadline is January 6, 2010.Items 1-6 are to be submitted on line when you submit the Doris Duke Common Application Package. Item number 7 should be sent to our office via email to donna.carranzo@yale.edu.

1. Completion of the online common application form
2. A letter of support from the Dean's office of the medical school in which you are currently matriculated. Please include MCAT scores in your Dean’s letter.
3. Two letters of support from faculty who can comment on your academic performance and  potential for clinical research
4. A personal statement. The personal statement should indicate why you wish to conduct clinical research in HIV/AIDS and related diseases in Africa.
5. A copy of your curriculum vitae
6. A copy of your medical school transcript
7. Names of 2-3 potential faculty research mentors from the list below. (see Mentor Selection section below for further information)
   Detailed instructions are provided below for each of the six items listed above required by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation in the Common Application Package. Read the FAQs at http://www.ddcf.org/page.asp?pageId=296 before starting to prepare your application for helpful guidance on questions about the program, application process and eligibility, as well as for students who are considering applying to schools at which they are not matriculated.

1. Online Application Form
   Complete all sections of the online application form, which requests the following information:
   Your contact information
   Education history
   Areas of clinical research you are interested in during fellowship year
   School(s) to which you are applying
   Description of prior research experience, if applicable
   
2. Letter from the Dean
   Request the letter of support from your Dean on the online application form well in advance of the deadline. Your Dean will receive an e-mail from ddcfcrf@aibs.org and will be asked to submit the letter through the online DDCF Application system by January 6, 2010. Some schools request specific information about you in the Dean's letter, so please check each school's additional requirements before requesting the letter from your Dean.
   
3. Letters of Support
   Request the letter of support from your references on the online application form well in advance of the deadline. Your references will receive an e-mail from ddcfcrf@aibs.org and will be asked to submit the letter through the online DDCF Application system by January 6, 2010. Because some schools have specific requirements for the letters of support, it is advisable to check each school's additional requirements before requesting the letters.
   
4. Personal Statement
   You will need to upload a personal statement (PDF) to submit your application. Your statement should contain a description of a) your reasons for undertaking clinical research; b) your plans for future professional or graduate education as well as your long-term career plans; and c) your current research interests, and the areas or questions that you would like to explore through the fellowship. (Limit to 1.5 pages, 12 pt. font)
   
5. Curriculum Vitae
   You will need to upload a copy of your CV (PDF) to submit your application. (Limit to 2 pages, 12pt. font)
   
6. Medical School Transcript
   Request your medical school transcript well in advance of the deadline. You will need to upload a copy (PDF) to submit your online application.

Eligibility & Selection Criteria

All applicants should have completed two or more years of medical school prior to beginning the Doris Duke Fellowship. Students in good standing, enrolled at any accredited U.S. medical school, are eligible to apply. A completed application, official medical school transcript, and two recommendation letters will be required for consideration.

Interviews will be conducted in February after all applications are received.

Mentor Selection and Projects

Listed below are Yale Faculty Mentors and projects. Applicants should select 2-3 potential faculty mentors from the list below:

Gerald Friedland, M.D., ., Director, Yale AIDS Program, Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology & Public Health, Yale.
	Collaborating African Investigators	At Tugela Ferry: Tony Moll M.B., Ch.B., Physician, Church of Scotland Hospital, Director, Philanjalo; At the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu Natal; Umesh Lalloo M.B., Ch.B., M.D., Professor of Medicine, Director of Pulmonary Medicine; Prashini Moodely, M.D. Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology, Director of Department of Microbiology; Wilhelm Sturm M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology; Dean, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine At the KewaZuluNatal Department of Health: Claudio Marra Ph.D., Epidemiologist
	Other US Investigators	Neel Gandhi M.D., Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Sarita Shah, M.D., Albert Einstein College of Medicine
	Title of Research Program	“Confronting Multiple and Extensively Drug Resistant Tuberculosis ( MDR and XDR TB) in rural South Africa”
Brian Forsyth, M.D., Ch.B., Medical Director, Pediatric Primary Care Center, Professor of Pediatrics and Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine.
	Collaborating African Investigators	Bridget Jeffery, M.B., Ch.B., University of Pretoria.
	Title of Research Program	“Promoting resilience in young children of HIV-infected mothers in South Africa”; “Building Capacity for HIV-related Research in South Africa”.
Michael Cappello, M.D., Director, Program in International Child Health, Professor of Pediatrics, Yale. Elijah Painstil, M.D., Associate Research Scientist of Epid. & Public Health and Pediatrics, Yale.
	Collaborating African Investigators	David Oforei-Adjei Ph.D. , Director, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research Professor, University of Ghana Medical School; and Michael Wilson Ph.D., Associate Director, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.
	Title of Research Program	The Yale-Africa Child Health Initiative To Improve Child Health In Africa Through Yale-Sponsored Collaborative Research. The goal is to strengthen the health research infrastructure in African Universities, thereby reversing the African “brain drain” that is depleting the continent of its most talented investigators.

 
Financial Information

A stipend of $27,000 annually will be provided to all Fellows. The policy of Yale University School of Medicine is to charge medical students an extended registration fee of $400 during the year of their fellowship. Applicants from other medical schools will not be charged tuition and should consult with their home school for information regarding tuition and fees. Funds are available to offset health insurance, travel, research expenses, and relocation expenses.

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