Dental Public Health Research Fellowship FAQs

I completed my Dental Public Health degree in a program outside the U.S. and Canada. Am I eligible to apply for NIDCR's fellowship program?

You are eligible to apply under the following conditions:

  • Your public health curriculum included graduate-level training in epidemiology, biostatistics, health care policy and management, environmental health, and behavior science.
  • Duration of your graduate public health training was at least two full-time academic years.

Are there any application or tuition fees?

Applicants will not be charged an application fee. There are no registration fees or tuition for individuals selected into this fellowship.


Do you accept foreign dental graduates?

Yes. Applicants must be graduates of a school of dentistry accredited by the American Dental Associations Commission on Dental Accreditation or the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada. Applicants who are graduates of a school of dentistry outside the U.S. must be deemed to have equivalent education as determined by the fellowship director.


Do foreign dental graduates need to have clinical experience in the U.S. before applying for the fellowship program?

No.


Do I need a U.S. dental license to be eligible for the fellowship program?

No.


Does completion of the fellowship lead to or qualify me to obtain a U.S. license to practice dentistry?

No. Eligibility to obtain a license to practice dentistry is NOT an outcome of the fellowship program. For more information about obtaining a dental license, please refer to the licensure page on the ADA web site.


Are there any special requirements for international dental graduates?

No. At this time we do not require TOEFL or GRE scores. Any change in this policy will be posted on the fellowship program web page.


What visa should I apply for? Do you offer H-1 Visas?

U.S. citizenship or permanent residency are not required. We do not sponsor H-1 visas for the fellowship program. Most of our fellows who require visas come in either with a J-1 (research) visa or possess their own non-immigrant work permission (such as an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) under F-1 (Optional Practical Training). Applicants may contact the NIH Division of International Services (DIS) for further information on non-immigrant status and visa requirements.


Do I need to have my credentials evaluated by a credentialing organization?

Foreign dental graduates should have their credentials evaluated by any of the credentialing organizations below. Please ask for a course-by-course evaluation.

While we do not recommend any specific credentialing organization, the following organizations are frequently used by foreign applicants to U.S. programs:

Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc (ECE)
PO Box 514070
Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470
Phone: (414) 289-3400
Website: https://www.ece.org

World Education Services (WES)
Bowling Green Station
PO Box 5087
New York, NY 10274-5087
Phone: (212) 966-6311
Website: https://www.wes.org


Do I need previous research experience?

No. However, this is a research-focused fellowship and applicants are expected to demonstrate a strong interest in oral health research through the application process.

Last Reviewed
December 2023