Call for Graduate Student Research Proposals – Due November 6, 2025
Proposals to support research on evolutionary perspectives on human, animal, and plant health are now being accepted by the Triangle Center for Evolutionary Medicine (TriCEM). This round of funding is open to Ph.D. students at Duke, UNC-CH, and NC State. We appreciate the partnership of the Genetics and Genomics Academy at NC State University and the Center for Galapagos Studies at UNC for supporting this round of graduate awards.
These one-year awards support graduate student research in evolutionary medicine. Students must be enrolled at Duke, UNC-CH, or NC State. The awardee will lead the proposed research with approval of their advisor and under appropriate mentorship for the research project. Proposed research activities should focus on evolutionary medicine, broadly defined to include research at the intersection of evolutionary biology, public health, and human or animal medicine, including One Health. More information on previously funded projects can be found here. Funds should be used for direct research expenses supported by a budget and budget justification. Tuition, fees, and stipends are not allowable expenses. Award amounts will vary depending on budget proposals and funding availability, up to $7,500.
As part of the application, students have the option to apply for additional funding to (1) involve undergraduate trainees in the research project and/or (2) engage the public via scientific outreach at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences related to the proposed research.
Undergraduate support: successful applicants may request an additional $1000 to support a trainee. To obtain these additional funds, we expect that the graduate student will provide a research role for the undergraduate and play an active role in mentoring them. This amount should not be included in the budget during the initial application; it is completed separately once decisions are made.
Public outreach: the NC Museum of Natural Sciences will provide a $500 stipend for one student to engage with visitors to the Museum via creative and dynamic ideas for communicating science. Examples include short talks on the student’s research, presentations related to a museum exhibit, or interactive teaching displays to engage visitors in the galleries. The student should plan for at least 16 hours of activities at the Museum over 4 months during the award period. Awardees will have the opportunity to practice public speaking skills and receive feedback from Museum staff who have expertise in science communication.
Contact Jennifer Hurtgen (jennifer.hurtgen@duke.edu) with any questions.
Proposal Guidelines and Submission Instructions
Proposals are short, not to exceed 3 single-spaced pages (12-pt type, margins at least 0.5 inches), and should follow the structure provided on the submission site. If applying for the supplemental NC Museum of Natural Sciences stipend, proposals will be allowed an additional 250 words over the 3-page limit. In addition to the 3-page proposal, please include a current CV. The proposal and CV should be uploaded in a single PDF, named in the format “LastName_FirstName.pdf”. Proposals exceeding 3 pages (not including CVs and an additional 250 words for NC Museum funds) will be returned without review.
Graduate Student Award proposals must also include a single letter of recommendation from the applicant’s faculty advisor/PI, sent directly to Jennifer Hurtgen (jennifer.hurtgen@duke.edu) by the proposal deadline. The letter should include details on additional funding available to the student for the proposed research.
Visit this link to complete your submission.
TriCEM is supported by Duke University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and partners with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. While this RFP is focused on a subset of our institutions, we anticipate that future rounds of TriCEM funding may offer support from additional university partners.
