In our efforts to spotlight Duke pathway programs, The Center for Pathway Programs at Duke identified many programs across various stages of the biomedical workforce continuum that have received meaningful support from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF). A consistent theme emerged: BWF has played a critical, often catalytic, role in shaping sustainable, interconnected pathways for learners.
To better understand BWF’s philosophy, long-term strategy, and impact, The Center took a deep dive to explore how BWF approaches pathway funding not as isolated interventions, but as part of a deliberately constructed ecosystem that supports learners from early education through advanced career stages in biomedical science and research.
From K to Career: BWF’s Long View
BWF was intentionally designed to preserve its longstanding commitment to education and career development, with a particular emphasis on biomedical science and research career trajectories. BWF supports education and pathway programs throughout North America, while maintaining deep investments in North Carolina. Its long history as an education-focused foundation has shaped a funding approach centered on continuity, intentional sequencing, and sustainability across career stages.
While BWF’s key K–12 investments are concentrated in North Carolina, the organization collaborates with a national network of partners and fellow funders to leverage collective resources. Rather than ending support after high school graduation, BWF considers what learners need at each transition point thereafter—from undergraduate education through graduate training, postdoctoral work, and into career roles. Put plainly, BWF supports learners from “K to career”.
BWF’s Longstanding Support of Pathway Programs at Duke
Center interviews with Duke’s Ignite and Cell Biology and Biochemistry Academy (CeBA) revealed BWF’s integral role in the sustainability of multiple Duke programs. For Ignite, the BWF Student STEM Enrichment Program support provided stability amid recent shifts in funding and policy. BWF support not only saved CeBA during a vulnerable period but also validated its methodology. A $2.5 million investment from BWF catalyzed the creation of Duke’s Office of Physician-Scientist Development (OPSD) in 2018. Due to BWF, the Duke School of Medicine, and other sources of funding, OPSD supported the PUMP undergraduate student research program, medical student scholarships, research-in-residency grants, technician support awards, and junior faculty awards—supporting more than 239 trainees to date.
BWF and BOOST: Dr. Brenda Armstrong’s Enduring Legacy
One Duke program enjoys a particularly special relationship with BWF. In 2004, seed funding from BWF enabled the late Dr. Brenda Armstrong to found Building Opportunities and Overtures in Science and Technology (BOOST), a STEM education program that gets Durham middle schoolers excited about STEMM. Dr. Armstrong’s vision centered on equity from the outset—ensuring all learners had access to high-quality STEM opportunities before educational gaps emerged.
BOOST demonstrated early success with 5th–8th grade students, supported by evidence of positive academic and engagement outcomes. In response, BWF reinvested to expand BOOST into after-school and out-of-school programming. Following Dr. Armstrong’s passing, BWF created an endowment to honor her work and sustain the principles she championed. BOOST program director Doug Coleman reflected on BWF’s commitment, saying, “When Dr. Armstrong passed, Alfred Mays called me at home to offer support; and when the Dr. Armstrong Endowment was created, BWF contributed $200k without an ask from us!”
Today, BOOST continues to expand through BOOST Beyond, pairing high school participants with graduate student mentors, and BWF remains an active supporter by funding core program events and opportunities for BOOST learners to attend conferences such as the Science for All Summit.
Exchanging Best Practices for Ecosystemic Support
BWF is an active participant in STEM ecosystems, a community of practice supported initially by the National STEM Funders Network with membership consisting of more than 20 funders across the country. Through various networks, BWF is able to share and support proven approaches across states and institutions.
Lessons from North Carolina programs like BOOST and others are regularly shared with network funders to inform policy and practice. In fact, early conversations between BWF and BOOST led to recommendations that BOOST strengthen linkages with other pathway programs rather than operate in isolation. As a result, BOOST grew to develop collaborations with more Duke departments, bridge programs, and local high schools, including the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, and implemented a near-peer mentoring model that has become an exemplar for other programs seeking similar impact. These iterative conversations led to stronger, more navigable pathways for learners.
Solid Ground in a Shifting Landscape
BWF remains deeply committed to supporting pathway programs—particularly those navigating funding or policy challenges—in championing equity, access, opportunity, and leadership across a range of environments and resource levels. By closely monitoring legislative developments, BWF is helping vulnerable programs adapt, sometimes shifting focus slightly while maintaining core goals. This flexibility underscores BWF’s long-term commitment to resilient, inclusive pathway ecosystems.
Alfred Mays, Expert Pathway Enabler
BWF’s twenty-four-person team of program officers, finance staff, facilities and events personnel, and other collaborators is deeply invested in the mission and has an outsized impact on education pathways. The Center sat down with Alfred Mays, Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Program Officer for Diversity and Education at BWF. Mays was recognized in 2020 by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper for advancing diversity in STEM education. He describes himself as an enabler—bridging people, ideas, and resources while facilitating collaboration and the leveraging of mutual assets. Mays was also recently recognized as a 2025 STEM Champion by the National STEM Ecosystems and a recipient of the 2025 Friday Medal awarded by North Carolina State University’s Friday Institute.
“My goal,” says Mays, “is to work myself out of a job by building self-sustaining ecosystems that no longer rely on a single connector.” Mays works diligently to institutionalize solutions with a mantra of paying it forward and paying it back. An example of practice in action is the utilization of former awardees as ambassadors, who are equally committed to sustaining strong ecosystems and networks.
What To Know When Applying to BWF
BWF emphasizes dialogue and strategic alignment over prescriptive requirements. A major factor in Duke programs receiving BWF awards, despite being considered a high-resource organization, is Duke’s responsiveness to feedback and willingness to integrate approaches that facilitate ecosystem development. Strategic partnerships help make applications more competitive.
“Duke programs compete for the same awards as programs with fewer resources,” says Mays. “But here’s the difference: part of that competitive process is asking how a high-resource organization can bring its assets to bear and partner with a low-resource organization, where the administrator wears many hats as the grant-writer, tutor, mentor, provider, director, and accountant. When a high-resource organization can offer support with recruitment and outreach to help those in need, that partnership with the community is what sets an applicant apart.”
Programs are encouraged to initiate conversations early, identify how their work fits into broader pathway ecosystems, and demonstrate linkages such as peer mentoring, downstream opportunities for alumni, and cross-institutional collaborations.
Beyond the Grant: Community, Connection, and Voice
Beyond funding, BWF provides feedback and guidance to strengthen programs over time. The Biennial STEM Awardee Meeting brings funded programs together to share practices, evaluations, and lessons learned, often leading to new collaborations and grant proposals.
Former awardees remain engaged as reviewers and advocates, reinforcing a cyclical system of reciprocity. Notably, Louis J. Muglia, MD, PhD, President and CEO of BWF, was formerly supported by BWF through a Career Award in the Biomedical Sciences in 1995. “Pathway programs matter because talent is everywhere, even when opportunity is not,” Dr. Muglia remarks. “As someone whose own career was shaped by STEMM pathways, I believe philanthropy has a responsibility to invest in programs that open doors for students and help ensure the future of science reflects the full diversity of our communities.”
If you are looking for support to provide creative, hands-on STEM activities for K-12 students, apply for the BWF Student STEM Enrichment Program annual grant. This award provides $60,000 per year for three years, and applications close on June 10, 2026. Reach out to the Burroughs Wellcome Fund to begin a conversation rooted in mutual learning and shared commitment to pathways in biomedical science.
