Duke Clinical Research Institute

As the world’s largest academic clinical research organization (ARO) and part of the Duke University School of Medicine, the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) is known for conducting groundbreaking multinational clinical trials, managing major national patient registries, and performing landmark outcomes research.

DCRI research spans multiple disciplines, from pediatrics to geriatrics, primary care to subspecialty medicine, and genomics to proteomics. The DCRI also is home to the Duke Databank for Cardiovascular Diseases, the largest and oldest institutional cardiovascular database in the world, which continues to inform clinical decision-making 40 years after its founding.

Our ARO Model

What sets us apart?

We combine the clinical expertise and academic leadership of a premier teaching hospital with the full-service operational capabilities of a major contract research organization.

Our leaders are some of the world's foremost authorities on the science, study, and application of clinical research, making them uniquely positioned to understand the operational, financial, and regulatory implications of numerous project designs, to the great benefit of our clients.

Building on more than 40 years of experience in innovative approaches to analyze the impact of various therapies on patient outcomes, the DCRI offers full clinical trial services as well as substantial resources dedicated to outcomes research and assessments, clinical database design and management, and medical education.

The ARO model of doing business

The DCRI supports the research interests of Duke faculty across an almost limitless array of therapeutic areas.

Our faculty are all practicing physicians in these specialties, applying cutting-edge research in their own patient care. Their informed input on study design and interpretation creates more efficient, practical, and hard-hitting research.

With more than 1,200 faculty and staff, the DCRI is capable of conducting any clinical research project, from the smallest pilot study to truly global megatrials, as well as medical device trials to outcomes and quality of life analyses. Our experience stretches from phase I to phase IV and beyond, encompassing postapproval analyses and health economics.

Sharing knowledge to improve health is our priority.

The goal of all our research is to achieve the DCRI’s mission to improve the practice of medicine.

Our faculty focus strongly on disseminating research results, publishing more than 600 articles per year in peer-reviewed journals. Their effects on patient care and the state of medicine are felt around the world.

The Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) brings together some of the world’s foremost authorities on the science, study, and application of clinical research. Our physician-investigators work closely with our expert managers and administrators, whose own experience runs the gamut of science, medicine, and business. All of our leaders, as well as every DCRI employee, share the same goal: To develop and share knowledge that improves the care of patients around the world through innovative clinical research.

Our mission is to develop and share knowledge that improves the care of patients around the world through innovative clinical research.

Our Goals

• To work as a partner with our clients in conducting research that benefits the practice of medicine
• To provide the best mix of expertise and service to achieve our clients' research goals
• To continuously improve our methods and knowledge to provide innovative solutions to our clients' needs
• To be cost-effective and flexible in bringing new treatments to patients as quickly as possible

Guiding Principles

1. We recognize the common interests of the patient and the medical care provider.
2. We value the best quantitative methods, including design, collection, structure, aggregation, and analysis of medical information.
3. We believe that medical practice knowledge should be shared.
4. We believe in collaboration in all activities, recognizing that improving medical practice is not an isolated activity.
5. We believe in directing our margin to fund academic endeavors.
6. We strive to be an organization of professionals who continually learn from each other.
7. We strive to be responsive to sponsors while balancing their needs with our academic mission.
8. We strive to maintain the academic culture of the DCRI while being efficient in our operations.

Vision Statement

To be the leading academic clinical research organization in the world. To realize this vision, we strive to develop:

• A model community of scholars in clinical research
• A workplace environment that fosters collaboration, creativity and professional development
• A diversified mix of research by therapeutic area that reflects the clinical practice in the medical center
• A balanced approach to research that includes a focus on health services research, health policy research, and clinical trials (representing a variety of type, phases, and sponsors)
• More effective strategic alliances

A surplus that allows for the endowment of core DCRI activities

Being a Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) employee affords you many fringe benefits, including:

• Uniquely generous employer-provided retirement contribution
• Access to a variety of plans supporting health and wellness
• Tuition assistance, professional development, and continuing education
• Flexible environment supports optimal work-life integration
• Surrounded by thriving arts, entertainment, and foodie community
• Benefits specific to Duke and a robust employee discount program

Our Culture

At the DCRI, we believe:

• Curiosity and creativity promote innovation; innovation drives our mission.
• Candor and collaboration promote respect and transparency in the workplace, which fosters a community of excellence.

A community of excellence and innovation combined with the ability to embrace change ensures sustained success.

The Community Surrounding DCRI

Nestled in the heart of North Carolina, the DCRI is a part of what’s known as the Research Triangle Park (RTP) community, which includes Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Whether you prefer the hustle and bustle of city life or the calm and quiet of a more bucolic setting, there’s something here for everyone. Enjoy sports? You’re in the middle of one of the biggest college basketball rivalries in the nation. Prefer to be part of the action? You’re in luck. Hiking, biking, boating, climbing, soccer, and even rugby are just a few of the many outdoor activities the Triangle offers. And don’t be afraid to work up a hunger. Foodies are easily sated with an incredibly rich bounty of international dining experiences nearby. From Asian fusion to Creole and Mediterranean to Moroccan—many with farm-to-fork freshness, your taste buds can take a tour of the world in a 20-mile radius. From sizeable museums to intimate galleries and concert stadiums to cozy clubs, the art and music scenes are equally abundant with venues large and small. It’s not an exaggeration to say we pretty much have it all.