Plan Your Journey Preview

Participate in the Responsible Conduct of Research Orientation workshop during Orientation Week.

Consult with faculty in my program about best practices in my discipline.

Attend research group meetings to learn from more experienced colleagues.

Explore topics offered through Responsible Conduct of Research forums.

Join a professional organization in my discipline. Consult faculty, advanced graduate students, and postdocs (if relevant) for recommended organizations that align with my research interests. Explore organizations’ websites, join mailing lists (if relevant), and consider attending conferences.

Participate in the Responsible Conduct of Research Orientation workshop during Orientation Week.

Attend seminars and talks in my program or department.

Join department- or program-specific graduate-student groups, councils, and committees (e.g., Economics Graduate Student Council, Duke’s Biomedical Engineering Society Graduate Chapter, etc.). Find groups aligned with my academic interests at Duke Groups by filtering by the category Academics.

Join a professional organization in my discipline. Consult faculty, advanced graduate students, and postdocs (if relevant) for recommended organizations that align with my research interests. Explore organizations’ websites, join mailing lists (if relevant), and consider attending conferences.

Explore Triangle-area universities and specialized centers to find research and collaboration opportunities. Search individual websites for a list of individuals in my field with whom I might collaborate.

To learn about professional dining etiquette, attend the Graduate Etiquette Workshop and Luncheon offered in the fall as part of The Graduate School’s Professional Development Series.

Participate in the Responsible Conduct of Research Orientation workshop during Orientation Week.

Participate in Orientation Week Mentoring Workshop. Join Duke faculty and graduate students in an informal conversation about establishing supportive mentoring relationships and the role of good mentoring in my success as a graduate student.

Use the Find Funding search tool on The Graduate School’s website to search for Duke-specific funding opportunities.

Find search tools, resources, and advice for graduate student funding opportunities from this blog post.

Consult Duke Libraries resources for expert information on research and publication. Explore resources for graduate students, find my subject specialist librarian, connect with a library expert on data or digital humanities, or learn about library workshops to enhance my data visualization skills.

Enroll in discipline-specific courses or workshop series on grant and fellowship writing.

Investigate nationally competitive fellowship and funding opportunities supported by the Nationally Competitive Scholarships (NCS) team on campus. Explore a handout listing fellowship opportunities for graduate students compiled by NCS staff and learn more about the NCS office and services on their website.

Find opportunities to fund interdisciplinary research projects through Interdisciplinary Studies at Duke.

Learn about the process of writing grants from resources such as the Office of Campus Research Development's toolkits on NIH F grants and for NSF GRFP, DDRIG, and Postdoctoral Fellowships (scroll to the bottom of the page). NIH also has a podcast series, NIH All About Grants, for information about NIH and the grant administration process.

To gain experience in writing grant proposals, collaborate with colleagues and faculty from my department or program to apply for a Professional Development Grant from The Graduate School.