Duke recognizes several kinds of supported and unsupported leave.
All leaves are contingent on departmental teaching and programmatic needs.
The leaves' criteria include the quality of the applicant's research and teaching, the lack of other financial assistance for the pursuit of the project, and the timeliness of the leave in the applicant's academic career. Leaves of Absence are granted for professional or personal reasons. Generally they are without pay. Applications are sent directly to the Vice-Provost for Interdisciplinary Studies and the Dean of the Natural Sciences. Although not leaves, the John Hope Franklin Seminars give faculty additional time for their research The seminars provide course relief in exchange for faculty participation in a year-long seminar with other colleagues and graduate students.