Admissions – NP Entrepreneur Program

APPLICATIONS

Applications are open now until December 19th.

You may start your application and return to it later. Click here to begin.

To save the application:

scroll to the bottom of the application and click “save and return later”. You will be given a return code. Be sure to write down the return code and enter your email address so that the survey link will be emailed to you. Please note, the code will NOT be emailed to you, so please write it down. Without the code, you will have to start a new application.

Letter of Commitment

If you are selected as a program participant, you will be asked to review and agree to the terms of the Participant Letter of Commitment (LOC), please click below to preview the LOC, which details the programs expectations.

NPEP Participant LOC 2026_Final

Informational Webinar

To learn more about the program, attend the informational webinar – Dec 2nd – 7 pm ET – Register Here!

SELECTION CRITERIA

The Selection Committee at Duke will evaluate and score the successfully submitted applications based on the following:

Whether the applicant has met the basic eligibility requirements
- - Applicants must be a licensed and credentialed NP in the United States
  - Applicants should be aspiring NP entrepreneurs looking to start their own healthcare enterprises; however, we will consider accepting a limited number of applicants who are current NP business owners needing critical support to make their businesses viable.
  - Applicants must be able to articulate a proposed healthcare enterprise idea that aims to provide primary care and/or behavioral health services for populations facing resource limitations.
  - Applicants must be able to attend and fully participate in sessions during key program dates:

- - - Feb 22-25, 2026: Leadership Retreat 1 in Durham, NC
      Jun 6-7, 2026: Web-conference 1 on Zoom
      Aug 22-23 and 29-30, 2026: Consultative Business Panels on Zoom
      Oct 3-4, 2026: Web-conference 2 on Zoom
      Dec 11-13, 2026: Leadership Retreat 2 in Durham, NC

- - - NPBO sessions listed below (held at 7 pm CT via Zoom):
      - March 5 and 19, 2026
        April 2, 16, and 30, 2026
        May 14 and 28, 2026
        June 11, 2026

2. Depth and scope of the applicants’ employment history, professional activities, and volunteer experiences

3. Strength of each applicant’s personal statements in response to the application essay questions

4. Strength of the proposed business plan as it pertains to the following:

- - clarity, feasibility, potential impact, and sustainability
  - a focus on primary care and/or behavioral health services
  - a focus on services for populations facing resource limitations*

For this program:

"primary care" is considered the provision of integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained
partnership with patients and practicing in the context of family and community.

"behavioral health care" refers to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health and substance use conditions through evidence-based clinical and therapeutic services. This includes psychiatric and psychotherapeutic care, counseling, and integrated behavioral health interventions addressing issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and addiction.  

"populations facing resource limitations" with respect to health are groups and communities that are at a disadvantage for optimal health and well-being due to factors such as occupation, income, health insurance coverage, and absence of a usual source of care as well as limitations due to illness or disability. Their health and healthcare issues may also intersect with social factors, such as education, occupation, geography, housing, poverty, and limited resource settings.

Application decisions will be announced on a rolling basis by late December 2025.

If you have difficulty accessing/navigating the application, please contact: npep@duke.edu