RESURP is postponed for Summer 2024. We will not be doing applications for 2024.
2023 Program Details
Please note, this opportunity is open to both Duke and non-Duke undergraduate students
Where: The program is currently planned to include both virtual (Zoom) and in-person activities on the Duke campus. In-person activities will be confirmed closer to the program start date and subject to Duke University policies. Participants will be required to provide proof of 3 COVID vaccines (includes booster) in compliance with Duke policy for any on-campus activities.
When: June 5 - July 28 (8 weeks). Students are expected to be available 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday.
Who is eligible: Students who will be junior or senior undergraduates in Fall 2023 are eligible. The competitive program will provide up to four selected students with a $3,200 stipend. Note: the program does NOT provide housing assistance.
Download the 2023 RESURP Application
Download the 2023 RESURP Fact Sheet
Address questions and submit all application materials to our coordinators at reachequitycenter@duke.edu.
Full application consists of:
- Completed application form (including employment, volunteer, community, and scholarly activities)
- Letters of recommendation from two non-family members (emailed by letter writers directly to the program)
- Unofficial school transcript
- Essay (instructions included in the application form)
Finalists will be invited for a brief interview between March 28 through April 7, 2023. Selection of up to four students will be made by mid-April 2023.
Background
Compared to Whites, Racial and Ethnic Minorities (African Americans, Hispanics/ Latinos, and other minorities are less likely to receive necessary procedures or medications for many conditions, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and HIV. As a result, racial and ethnic minorities experience poorer health outcomes and are more likely to die from many of these conditions than whites. While differences in factors such as insurance coverage contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in health, research shows that racial and ethnic minorities also receive lower quality healthcare than whites even when they have similar insurance coverage and access to care. This suggests that other factors, namely doctors and other clinicians or health care providers that make-up of the healthcare system itself also contribute to poorer health outcomes for minorities.
The overall goal of the Duke Center for Research to Advance Healthcare Equity is to develop and test ways to improve the quality of care that racial and ethnic minorities receive from doctors and hospitals. The Center offers a number of research, education, and training opportunities for students, trainees, and faculty interested in racial and ethnic disparities in health.
About RESURP
REACH Equity Summer Undergraduate Research Program (RESURP) is an 8-week summer program for rising junior and senior undergraduate students. The overall goals of the program are to: increase students’ knowledge of the causes and consequences of racial and ethnic disparities in health; introduce students to basic skills in clinical research and provide an opportunity to conduct a health disparities research project; provide an opportunity for students to shadow Duke Faculty in a clinical setting.
Program Highlights
Through a series of interactive sessions and hands on activities led by REACH Equity Center faculty, RESURP will include the following (and more). Due to COVID-19, in-person activities will be determined closer to the program start date:
- Introduction to racial and ethnic disparities in health and their causes, including: social determinants of health (education, income, insurance, housing), the make-up of the healthcare system, and provider beliefs and behaviors related to implicit (unconscious) bias
- Local community tour to learn how social determinants impact health and contribute to disparities
- Introduction to clinical research methods, data collection and database creation, statistical analysis, Institutional Review Boards, medical ethics, and minority participation in research
- Participation in a community-based Racial Equity Training Workshop
- Shadowing of clinical faculty (TBD based on COVID-19 restrictions)
- Informal sessions with Duke faculty, trainees, and students to hear about their experiences
- Workshops and lectures on presentation skills, professionalism, and teamwork
- Completion of a small group mentored health disparities research project through collecting data, creating a REDCap database, exporting data for statistical analysis, and creating a PowerPoint presentation
- Oral presentation of the group project at a special symposium attended by faculty and staff
2019 Group Projects
- "Publication Outcomes of Racial and Ethnic Disparities Research Presented at the 2014 American Public Health Association (APHA) Conference," Brandon Bui and Lenique Huggins (Duke University)
- "An Evaluation and Comparative Analysis Between Health Disparity and Other Health-related Grants in 2014," Michaela Brown (NC State University), Destanei Hargrove (NC Central University), Angela Renee (Duke University)
2020 Group Projects
- “Publication Outcomes of Racial and Ethnic Disparities Research Abstracts Presented at the 2015 American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology Conferences,” Emily Guinee (Duke University) and Rami Imam (UNC Chapel Hill)
- “Differences in Racial and Ethnic COVID-19 Data Reporting Across the United States,” Gracyn Travitz (Appalachian State) and Melissa White (Duke University)
2021 Group Projects
- “Clinical and social factors correlated with COVID-19 infection in North Carolina counties,” Ola Adeniyi (NC State University) and Ishaan Nandwani (Virginia Commonwealth University)
- “Racial and ethnic differences in HPV vaccine uptake in adults aged 27-45 years,” Natalie Rincon (Duke University) and Kelsey McDowell (UNC Chapel Hill)
- “Cultural interventions addressing disparities in the HIV prevention and treatment cascade among African Americans: A scoping review,” Shawin Vitsupakorn (Duke University) and Nia Pierce (NC State University)
2022 Group Projects
- "Impact of limited English proficiency on healthcare access and HPV vaccine uptake in the US," Trinity Casimir (New York University) and Marian Talip (NC State University)
- "Doula Care Experiences among Birthing People of Color: A Scoping Review," Nat'e Stowe (NC A&T University) and Emily Kang (Duke University)
2023 Group Projects
- "Impact of Sociodemographic Factors on Access to Mental Healthcare for Cancer Survivors," Ryan Norris (Morehouse College) and Daniela Miro-Rivera (Yale University)
- "Using Doula Care to Decrease Black Maternal-Infant Health Disparities in the US," Ruby Carter-Ogden (NC State University) and Jaylah Dorman (Howard University)