Participants Needed: Pre-Med & Medical Students
Sociology senior, Nadia Ouhaj, is currently conducting a study for theirsenior thesis at Duke University called “Reimagining the White Coat: Constructing the Contemporary Physician.” The study explores how societal expectations and beliefs about physicians and medicine influences the professional identity and expectations for pre-medical and medical students.
If you are interested, the study involves a one-on-one conversation (around 45-60 minutes) where you can share your experiences of your medical education, interactions, and beliefs about your future career. You may also choose to complete the survey instead or in addition to the interview, which will only take around 5 to 10 minutes. Everything you share will be confidential, and participation is completely voluntary.
Participants will have the option to enter a lottery for a chance to win one of two 50-dollar Amazon gift cards as a thank you for their time and contribution. If you know anyone else who is an aspiring physician who may want to take part, please feel free to share my contact information with them.
Survey: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8BnWD8BHmSmhgWO
Interview Sign-Up: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5vhZF2Y0esfaEhU
The Voyager Scholarship funds up to $25,000 per year in financial aid during the junior and senior years of college. To encourage college students to enter careers in public service, Scholars will receive housing and $10,000 toward a service oriented work-travel summer experience after junior year, and $2,000 per year for 10 years in AirBnB credit.
Visit the website for information about the Voyager Scholarship. Applications will open in early February!
Upcoming Deadlines
Udall Undergraduate Scholarship
Provides up to $7000 toward college expenses for those interested in environmental studies or Native American policy/healthcare in the US.
Application Deadline: January 30, 2026 at 12:00 PM (noon)
Beinecke Scholarship
Up to $30,000 to support graduate study in the arts, humanities, or social sciences at any university in the US.
Application Deadline: February 27, 2026 at 12:00 PM (noon)
Duke SCAI Hackathon
Duke’s Society-Centered AI hackathon is February 6 and 7. Each team (2-5 participants) will create a presentation around a prompt provided at the hackathon kickoff event.
The winning team will receive $1,000 (to split amongst themselves) and the opportunity to present their work on the “big stage” during the main SCAI conference (from February 12-14th). We will have expert judges from Google and other great local partners! Plus, all participants get free t-shirts :)
You can register here: https://sites.duke.edu/scai/
WANT TO PRESENT YOUR ORIGINAL RESEARCH ON THE HUMAN SIDE OF HEALTH AND MEDICINE? APPLY FOR THE HEALTH AND THE HUMAN CONFERENCE!
The Health and the Human Conference (February 21st, 2026) aims to create a space for undergraduates and other early-career researchers to collaborate and analyze the intersections of humanities and social sciences in health, illness, and health care. By highlighting scholarship in the intersection of health and humanities, we hope to foster an interdisciplinary community where students from UNC, Duke, NC State, and other nearby institutions can share their work, exchange ideas, and learn from one another. Our presenter application is open to undergraduates, master's students, and professional students (ie, Med/Dental students). While we are not open to presenter applications from PhD students and others who are more advanced in their research journey, our conference is open to the general public, and we encourage all to attend!
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: https://bit.ly/HHC_CFP_2026
PRESENTER APPLICATION: https://bit.ly/HHC_Application
NON PRESENTER ATTENDEE REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/HHC_Attendees
Duke Mellon Mays
Undergraduate Fellowship
Applications open January 16 to February 16, 2026
Have more questions? Email Professor Candis Watts Smith at DMMUF@duke.edu
Learn More
Duke Help Desk Spring 2026
Want an applied, service-oriented experience in the Durham community? Are you interested in health equity, social determinants of health, or working directly with patients?
Help Desk is a student-run volunteer program in partnership with Duke Health and Lincoln Community Health Center. Our Community Resource Navigators work in person and over the phone to help patients connect to local community resources addressing non-medical needs such as food and housing insecurity.
They are currently recruiting English speakers and near-native/native Spanish speakers for a volunteer position requiring a minimum commitment of 4 hours per week during the academic year.
Interested in learning more? Join them for a Help Desk Open House on Tuesday, February 4th at 6:30 PM in Physics 130 to learn more about the program and ask questions.
- Application Deadline: Friday, February 27th at 11:59pm
- How to Apply: Submit via email to achintya.inumarty@duke.edu and neil.nimmagadda@duke.edu
- Questions: Please email achintya.inumarty@duke.edu and neil.nimmagadda@duke.edu
2026 South-Eastern Undergraduate Sociology Symposium
Call for Papers
The 44th SEUSS, co-sponsored by the Sociology Departments of Emory University and
Morehouse College, will be held on Emory University’s campus in Atlanta, Georgia, on
February 27–28, 2026.
Paper requirements: Submissions on any topic or area of sociology are welcome.
Students are also encouraged to submit work they completed in their courses if it
involved data collection, analysis, and/or theoretical exploration. Co-authored papers
qualify. Before applying, students should meet with their faculty mentor to discuss
whether the paper will be ready for presentation by the time of the symposium.
Students interested in participating can apply by submitting their abstract and,
optionally, a draft of the paper via this form: https://forms.gle/4GzUSLLcydaCry8s5
Those who choose to also submit a full paper will also be considered for one of the three
Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Research.
Applications are due Friday February 6th at 12 midnight EST
Participants will be asked to pay a $25 registration fee to help defray costs of the banquet
dinner.
Questions? Visit their website or email seuss@emory.edu.
The North Carolina Sociological Association is now accepting registrations and submissions to present your work at the 2026 NCSA Annual Conference!
The conference will be held on Friday, March 27, 2026, on the campus of UNC Wilmington. The conference theme is Public Sociology, and they are accepting submission of all topics and formats (e.g., papers, posters, and workshops). They encourage student and faculty submissions!
Please go to the NCSA website or click the following below to:
- Join or renew your membership
- Register to attend the conference early for a discount
- Submit a work to present at the conference by February 6, 2026
Because NCSA is committed to supporting student leadership, in addition to presenting at the conference, they encourage students to join the student committee.
Each year, they also celebrate the work of students and faculty through their Achievement Awards. Please see the links below for more information and to submit your nominations by January 30, 2026. They encourage you to apply and/or share with others who meet requirements!
Alpha Kappa Delta Student Paper Competition
Alpha Kappa Delta sponsors an undergraduate and graduate student paper competition for current members. Winners are eligible to win a cash prize and travel money to attend the American Sociological annual conference. First-place winners are eligible to have their paper published in our journal.
Undergraduate Student Paper Competition - Submission Deadline - March 1st
Graduate Student Paper Competition - Submission Deadline - April 15th