FAQs

To apply for 2025, students must:

• Be a current high school sophomore or junior (grades 10-11 for the 2024-2025 school year), or a senior (grade 12) who does *not* plan to attend college in fall 2025;
• Attend a public or charter high school in Durham, NC (C.E. Jordan High School, City of Medicine Academy, Durham School of Technology, Durham School of the Arts, Excelsior Classical Academy, Hillside High School, Ignite! Online Academy, J.D. Clement Early College High School, Middle College High School, NC Cyber Academy, NC School of Science and Mathematics [Durham], NC Virtual Academy, Northern High School, Research Triangle High School, Riverside High School, Southern School of Energy and Sustainability, or Voyager Academy High School);
• Have reliable transportation for daily commuting to Duke University;
• Be at least sixteen (16) years old by June 16, 2025; and
• Be a U.S. citizen, national, permanent resident, or legal resident.

No.

Complete an online application and request two (2) letters of recommendation from non-relatives. For more information and to access the application, please visit: https://dibs.duke.edu/education/high-school/application/. Applications for the 2025 cohort open December 16, 2024 and are due by February 9, 2025 at 11:59pm EST.

To complete your application, you may find it useful to prepare:

• Contact information for two (2) recommenders who have agreed to write letters of recommendation for you
• An unofficial high school transcript
• A list of your extracurricular activities with brief descriptions (1-3 sentences)
• A list of any honors and awards that you have received
• Responses to the following short-answer questions:

1. Tell us about your favorite activity, class, or honor and why it is meaningful to you. [150-word limit]

2. Why are you interested in brain science? (For example, you may wish to discuss one of the following: a science class you’ve taken, lived experiences, a neuroscience lab at Duke, a specific research question, or anything else you think is relevant.) [150-word limit]

3. What are your short- and long-term academic/career goals? How will participating in DUNE help you achieve these goals? [250-word limit]

4. Some students have a background, identity, personal interest, or talent so meaningful that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. Please share your story. Include any challenges that you have overcome and the strengths that you have gained from these experiences. [250-word limit]

For more information and to access the application, please visit: https://dibs.duke.edu/education/high-school/application/.

Applications and two (2) letters of recommendation are due by February 9, 2025 at 11:59pm EST.

Admissions decisions will be announced in March 2025.

No. We welcome students without prior research experience to apply.

To apply, students must attend a public or charter high school in Durham, NC. We are unable to consider applications from out-of-district or out-of-state students.

DUNE does not offer a residential option. Students must commute to campus daily for in-person research and activities (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm). For other summer opportunities at Duke with residential or online options, please visit: https://learnmore.duke.edu/precollege/all-programs.

Students cannot be employed full time and participate in DUNE. Participating in DUNE is a full-time commitment (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm) for 8 weeks (June 16-August 8, 2025). DUNE provides a stipend so that students who need to work during the summer can participate in DUNE instead. Lunch is also provided daily.

Students who are homeschooled but live within the Durham Public Schools district are welcome to apply. Students who attend one of the following Durham public or charter online schools are also welcome to apply: Ignite! Online Academy, NC Cyber Academy, or NC Virtual Academy.

Yes, you are welcome to reapply if you still meet the eligibility criteria.

The DUNE program seeks to provide research opportunities for high school students who are highly interested in neuroscience-related fields and have not had many opportunities to explore neuroscience and/or research. The DUNE Admissions Committee holistically reviews applications and prioritizes authentic accounts of interest in our program.

We are looking for students who:

• Have taken challenging courses, regardless of whether they have a perfect academic record.
• Demonstrate participation in extracurricular activities, including taking on leadership positions, commitment to initiatives/organizations, and/or supporting their families.
• Illustrate concrete and personal examples of excitement and motivation related to their interest neuroscience and/or research.
• Share personal stories and examples where they have overcome barriers and exhibited persistence and resilience in pursuit of their interest in neuroscience and/or research.

DUNE’s mission is to provide Durham high school students from diverse backgrounds with the scientific skills, mentorship, and professional development opportunities to position them for success in STEM fields. To maximize impact, we look for students who are passionate about brain science but have not yet had many opportunities to explore neuroscience and/or research. The DUNE Admissions Committee holistically reviews applications. Strong letters of recommendation should include:

1. Genuine Support: Provide an enthusiastic and authentic endorsement of the applicant, demonstrating a clear belief in their abilities and potential for growth.

2. Confidence in Research Potential: Discuss the applicant’s competence, maturity, and readiness to engage in scientific research at Duke University.

3. Specific Examples of Strengths: Include concrete examples that demonstrate the applicant’s work ethic, persistence and resilience when facing challenges, and interest in brain science and/or research.

4. Fit for the Program and Future Goals: Explain how participating in DUNE would uniquely benefit the applicant based on their academic and career aspirations. If applicable, discuss any challenges the applicant may face in pursuing college and/or STEM (e.g., being a first-generation college student, low socioeconomic status, disability, and/or lack of exposure to neuroscience and/or research) to help demonstrate the DUNE program’s potential impact.

• Join a Lab: Get matched with a cutting-edge neuroscience lab at Duke University based on your research interests.
• Hands-on Research: Perform hands-on neuroscience research and gain technical research skills.
• Mentorship: Receive individualized mentorship from professional scientists who will guide you through your research project.
• Professional Development: Participate in a series of professional development workshops with local experts.
  • Develop your neuroscience understanding
  • Receive guidance for applying to college
  • Develop scientific communication and presentation skills
  • Explore career options in academia, industry, and medicine
• Networking: Develop a network of peers and mentors.
• Present Your Work: Present your research at an end-of-summer poster session for your peers, family, and Duke scientists.
• Stipend: Receive a stipend and daily lunch.
• Laptop: Borrow a laptop with specialized software for your lab work.

You will join a Duke neuroscience lab for 8 weeks (June 16-August 8, 2025). On the first day, you will attend an orientation session, then meet your lab mentor(s). You will spend most of your time in the lab working on your research project with the guidance of your mentor(s). Additionally, you will participate in professional development activities run by DUNE. The time commitment for DUNE is no more than 40 hours per week (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm). During the last week, you will prepare a scientific poster and present the results of your summer research to your peers, family, and Duke scientists. To hear from previous students who have participated in DUNE, please visit Scholar Stories and DUNE in the News.

DUNE mentors include Duke postdoctoral fellows (PhDs), graduate students (earning their PhDs), and staff scientists. You will have a primary mentor (or co-mentor team) who works closely with you to carry out your research project. You may also receive mentorship from other lab members, including the principal investigator (faculty member) who runs the lab.

The poster session is the highlight of DUNE! At the end of the summer, you will create a scientific poster and present the results of your summer research to your peers, family, and Duke scientists. You will receive extensive guidance on making your poster and how to present your work.

No. If you are accepted, we will send you a list of participating labs and their research topics, which you will rank based on your interests. DUNE will then match students with labs. Please do not contact labs on your own for lab placement.

DUNE Scholars participate in three workshop series over the summer:

• Science Development workshops (Mondays) introduce students to introductory neuroscience principles, research techniques, and scientific presentation skills.
• Education and Career Development workshops (Wednesdays) provide direct guidance on applying to college, including writing a personal statement and networking with DUNE alumni and current college students.
• Community Engagement workshops (Fridays) enable students to hear from and meet professionals with neuroscience-related careers in academia, medicine, and industry.

Yes, you must commit to participating in all 8 weeks of the program (June 16-August 8, 2025). The time commitment is no more than 40 hours per week (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm).

No.

Yes. Participating students will be paid a stipend, and lunch will be provided daily (Monday-Friday).

No. Students must have reliable transportation to Duke’s West Campus.

No, DUNE does not have a residential option. Students must commute to campus daily for in-person research and activities (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm). For other summer opportunities at Duke with residential or online options, please visit: https://learnmore.duke.edu/precollege/all-programs.

No, DUNE requires in-person participation. For other summer opportunities at Duke with online options, please visit: https://learnmore.duke.edu/precollege/all-programs.