Financial Support

Financial AidStipend

Each student accepted into the program is guaranteed full financial assistance for six years as long as they remain in good standing. For the 2023-2024 academic year, the award comprises a personal stipend of $38,600 plus tuition, registration fee, recreation fee, health insurance and the student health service fee.

Travel Awards

Every 1st and 2nd year Neurobiology student receives a $1,000 travel award. First-year students typically attend the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting to experience the full range of today’s neuroscience, while second-year students often attend smaller and more focused conferences within the subfield they have chosen.

Students who have successfully completed their preliminary exam are eligible to apply for up to $525 (domestic)/$700 (international) of conference travel support from the graduate school.

Duke Awards

James B. Duke Fellowship

These fellowships are offered through The Graduate School and provide a $5,000 stipend supplement for four years in addition to any other award the student receives. Their objective is to help attract and develop outstanding scholars at Duke. Selection of recipients is made by a faculty committee upon nomination by the department; no direct application is necessary.

Chancellor’s Scholarship

These fellowships are offered through The Graduate School to incoming international graduate students studying biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine and support students for their first two years of graduate school with a stipend, tuition remission, fees, and health insurance. Students also receive a one-time signing bonus of $5,000 at the start of their first year. Applicants are nominated by their programs and vetted by a faculty committee; no direct application is necessary.

Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence 

The award targets senior students who have excelled in the basic research endeavor, evidenced by an exceptional publication record and/or a substantial impact on the research trajectory of the lab. This comes with a cash award of $1,500. 

Dean's Graduate Fellowship 

The Dean’s Graduate Fellowships are provided to students who—by reason of their background, culture, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, work, and life experiences—contribute to a fuller representation of perspectives within the academic life of the University. The Dean’s Graduate Fellowship will provide a 12-month stipend during the first two years of study and a $5,500 summer stipend or stipend supplement (depending on the student's course of study) in the third and fourth years of study. Selection of recipients is made by a faculty committee upon nomination by the department; no direct application is necessary.

Biocore 

BioCoRE (Biosciences Collaborative for Research Engagement) is designed to unify and enrich the bioscience community across the School of Medicine, the Graduate School, Trinity College, and the Pratt School of Engineering. BioCoRE boasts a wide variety of scientific programs, including community-building activities, paid research opportunities, conference travel, symposia, and seminars that will benefit all student and faculty BioCoRE members. The program is committed to increasing every aspect of diversity within Duke’s bioscience community, as our society is increasingly enriched by the unique ideas and perspectives of individuals from different backgrounds and life experiences, and this diversity of experience results in novel ideas and theories that ultimately propel academia forward and benefit society as a whole.

Disability Fellowship

The School of Medicine offers a Disability Fellowship that provides a $5,000 stipend supplement. Trainees are deemed eligible by the Duke Student Disability Access Office for both accommodation and the fellowship.

External Funding  

Although we guarantee financial support for our students, we also expect them to participate in the search for funds. We specifically work with our students to develop strong applications for funding from external sources in our 2nd year course NEUROBIO 710: Scientific Writing: Papers and Grant Writing Workshop.

Some external funding sources are:

Use Duke databasessearch tools, and workshops to identify additional funding mechanisms.

Visit the Duke Graduate School for more detailed financial information.