Duke-Cook Children’s RISE-STAR Affiliate Program

Duke University-Cook Children’s Medical Center Research Initiative for Student Exploration (RISE) Summer Training in Academic Research Program (STAR) Program Partnership

Every advance in children’s health begins with a question, and with someone trained to pursue it. Beginning in summer 2027, the Cook Children’s RISE-STAR Affiliate Program will give Texas high school students the chance to pursue those questions within a working pediatric research program, with mentorship and training in high-quality clinical research. This inaugural cohort, based in Fort Worth, Texas, is an extension of the Summer Training in Academic Research Program (STAR) and will include a community of approximately eight students and seven faculty and staff who will train at Cook Children’s Medical Center.
Banner identifying Cook Children's as a participating site in the STAR research network.

Each RISE-STAR participant will be paired with a mentor who is engaged in an active pediatric study and contributes to that work over the course of the summer. Short courses and small-group sessions in research methods, scientific writing, and professional development will complement the hands-on work. Hence, students gain both vocabulary and the practical skills necessary to conduct clinical research. Students will conclude the summer program by presenting what they have learned through a capstone presentation, a research poster, or both.

Mentors are a multidisciplinary group of Cook Children's faculty and staff members, including physician investigators, research scientists, program coordinators, educators, and research operations personnel, who are deeply connected to a range of clinical and research specialties.

*Students will receive a stipend for participation in the program.

Eligibility

Please note that for the 2027 program, eligible applicants for the RISE-STAR Program are:

  • Texas high school students, including students who are homeschooled at the high school level, and
  • Applicants who will be at least 16 years old on the first day of the in-person program.

Program Dates

The in-person experience will take place at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, from June 7 to July 9, 2027.

Due Dates, Links, and Contacts

Application Period: Dec. 1, 2026—Jan. 4, 2027

Please submit the following:

  • Completed application for high school students.
  • School transcript.
  • Two letters of recommendation provided by nonrelatives. Letters are to be submitted by the person who wrote the letter by the application deadline.
  • Personal statement questions (prompts and responses entered directly within the application).1

The application cycle is not yet open. Please check back in December 2026.

Applications must be received by Jan. 4, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Applications received with a date and time stamp of Jan. 5, 2027, or later will not be considered.

Contact: Throy Campbell, PhD

Additional Contacts

Students outside of Texas: Please see the STAR Program main page

If you have questions about eligibility or the program, contact dukestarprogram@duke.edu

1If you use AI to generate any part or any draft of your personal statement, please indicate that on your application.