Founded in 1980 through a grant from the Duke Endowment, the Duke University Talent Identification Program has become a major leader in identifying academically talented students and providing innovative programs to support the development of their optimal educational potential. Since 1980 over 2 million students have benefited from one or more of Duke TIP's unique services, resources or programs—many of which have become models for the education of academically talented students worldwide.

The first talent search in 1981 attracted just over 8,700 participants; this number increased to over 71,000 in 2011. Duke TIP held its first summer residential program for verbally and mathematically talented youth on the Duke campus in 1981 for a total of 151 students. The total combined enrollment for the Duke campus and other Duke TIP sponsored residential program sites—spanning seven states and four international locations—was nearly 3,700 students in 2011.

Built on the foundation of the Duke TIP 7th Grade Talent Search, the 4th/5th Grade Talent Search was launched in 1994 and identifies students at a younger age with broader eligibility criteria. In 2011, over 40,000 participated in the 4th/5th Grade Talent Search. In 2012, we expanded the program to include sixth graders and renamed it the 4th–6th Grade Talent Search.