Hundreds gather for daylong summit showcasing scientific achievements
Image
Duke’s research community is multidimensional, involving more than 10,000 faculty, trainees and staff across the institution who are “poised to enter the university’s second century, seeking to make a unique impact on society.”
That was one of several key messages delivered by Jennifer Lodge, vice president for Research & Innovation during a day-long summit that drew more than 150 people to the Wilkinson Engineering Building on January 7.
Lodge outlined the many accomplishments made during the past year by Duke’s research community. Among them: Researchers and scholars received more than 3,300 awards, grants and contracts in FY 2024, equating to $1.33 billion in external research funding. More than $863 million came from federal sponsors. The Office for Research & Innovation Annual Report is available here.
She also noted that Duke’s research community generated $82.6 million in licensing revenue, disclosed 302 inventions, and filed for 92 patents in the last year, as detailed in the Office for Translation & Commercialization Annual Report. She cited as an example the FDA-approved brain cancer therapy Voranigo, the product of research by Duke University's Dr. Darell Bigner and Bert Vogelstein of Johns Hopkins University, which underwent clinical trials at Duke.
Since 2006, the FDA has approved seven drugs that have their roots in Duke intellectual property “This is remarkable. Many universities would be thrilled to have just one,” Lodge said.
Also of significance has been Duke’s interdisciplinary partnerships across the institution.
Jenny Lodge, vice president for Research & Innovation, speaks about Duke intellectual property at Duke’s 2025 Research Summit.
“Duke excels at the spaces in between disciplines, and our researchers are open to different approaches, unlocking new and innovative solutions,” said Lodge.
She pointed to Duke’s global recognition by Times Higher Education’s inaugural Interdisciplinary Science Rankings , which placed Duke at No. 5 out of 749 institutions in 92 countries.
“If you want to be able to make a difference societally, this is where you can do it,” said Volker Blum, associate dean for Research and Infrastructure in the Pratt School of Engineering, who joined Lodge for a Q&A session.
Lodge pointed out that research is not just about numbers and data; it’s about the people.
“Research and scholarship are dynamic and interactive, and the people conducting the investigations are as much a part of the process as the research and scholarship itself,” she said.
Added Scott Huettel, senior associate dean for research for Trinity College of Arts & Sciences: “It’s not just the work that we do that I am excited about, but I am also excited about seeing our colleagues working with each other.”
However, an increase in administrative burdens has created challenges that Duke research support and leadership seek to navigate as effectively as possible.
“One of the core principles of my office is to reduce the administrative burden on our faculty so when we are thinking of how we can adapt our systems and processes, we are trying to think about the faculty experience; how we can get the information we need the most efficient way possible,” she said.
VP for Duke Research & Innovation Jenny Lodge interviews neuroscientist Scott Huettel (middle) and Volker Blum, associate dean for research at Pratt, at Duke’s 2025 Research Summit.
The remainder of the day involved several breakout groups with more than three dozen Duke researchers discussing various topics – from how climate change impacts health and the ocean’s ecosystems to an in-depth look at how groundbreaking innovations move from concept to commercialization.
“If you want to be able to make a difference societally, this is where you can do it.”
Volker Blum, associate dean for Research and Infrastructure in the Pratt School of Engineering
During the morning session, Jamie Wylie, director of the Duke Office for Research Initiatives, announced the teams selected to receive the Duke Research Summit 2025 Collaborative Research Planning Grant. She said they were selected for the strength of their research challenges, the interdisciplinary expertise of their members, the anticipated impact of their collaborative efforts, and the clarity of their proposed objectives.
“Each team exemplifies the power of collaboration to drive scientific discovery and create meaningful societal change,” Wylie told them.
