For over a quarter century, the Doris Duke Foundation’s support for clinical research has been driven by our fundamental belief in the importance of health research innovation that improves human health.
In response to the changing world around us and the evolving nature of advances needed to sustainably improve health in this country, the resources and structures we use to support health research must also change. Ongoing efforts and existing frameworks for a healthier population can be complemented to achieve shared goals. The pandemic and the worsening health of Americans signal that it’s time to create more or strengthen existing pathways to pursue every avenue of research that could save and improve lives.
To learn more about the Doris Duke Foundation’s perspective, we invite you to read this article.
Sparking National Discussion to Strengthen Health Research
Purpose
To improve how we prevent disease and care for people by identifying champions and actions to foster collaboration and prioritize research that can directly impact health outcomes.
Rationale and History
In the United States, health outcomes remain poorer than expected even with remarkable advancements in biomedical technology and treatments. Biomedical advances, like gene editing for sickle cell disease and immune therapies for cancers, have shown what modern medicine is capable of, yet many preventable diseases persist and clinical encounters can be improved to yield better outcomes. This is partly because of less-developed pathways to incentivize research innovations for disease prevention and for improvement of care outcomes. The systems for funding, carrying out and applying this research are not clearly aligned with existing general goals for a healthier population. Research that could make a real difference doesn't always receive the necessary financial support or has the structures needed to translate breakthrough innovations into practice. This highlights gaps in how we prioritize health innovation nationally.
The Opportunity
Led by the Doris Duke Foundation, the Collective to Strengthen Pathways for Health Research seeks to bring greater attention and resources to improve how we prevent and care for disease. The Collective is offering funding to approximately 12 nonprofit organizations to host symposia across the United States in Spring 2025. These symposia will illuminate strategies to connect societal health priorities with research ideas, funding models and commercial incentives to improve health outcomes. The aim is to create a blueprint for action that can shape new funding models, policy changes and industry investments to promote health innovations that prevent disease and improve clinical care.
Host organizations must have 501(c)(3) status and be committed to strengthening health research pathways with a focus on societal impact. The deadline for proposals is Nov. 8, 2024, with final selections announced by the end of Jan. 2025.
To learn more about the opportunity, read the invitation here and visit the FAQ page.
About the Collective to Strengthen Pathways for Health Research
The Doris Duke Foundation, together with American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Dana Foundation, Donaghue Foundation, Robertson Foundation, Susan G. Komen, and additional philanthropic partners are the Collective to Strengthen Pathways for Health Research. The Collective is seeking to bring greater attention and resources for breakthrough health research to improve how we prevent and care for disease. Our current activities are focused on elevating voices and ideas to help define an actionable blueprint for progress.
