Institutional Training

NIDCR Institutional Research Training Programs (T32, T90/R90) & K12 Institutional DSPP Programs

NIDCR Institutional T32 and T90/R90 training programs provide long-term research training experiences for student and postdoctoral scientists seeking to develop independent research careers in dental, oral, and craniofacial research. NIDCR has a new Institutional K12 career development award to support a combined Dental Specialty and PhD Program (DSPP) for early career dentists seeking to develop clinical and research expertise to foster a research career focusing on improving dental, oral and craniofacial health.

NIDCR T32 and T90/R90 training programs funded under T32 PAR-15-102, T90/R90 PAR-15-101, T32 PAR-20-044 and T90/R90 PAR-20-056 provide support to institutions to encourage innovative and novel research training opportunities for individuals interested in pursuing independent research careers in dental, oral, and craniofacial research. The training programs provide students and postdoctoral trainees with a robust curriculum of study, programmatic activities and research experiences that will facilitate development toward independent research careers.

The T32 and T90 component of the paired T90/R90 program are Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) programs, which support U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or non-citizen nationals. The R90 component of the T90/R90 supports research education opportunities for non-US citizen, foreign-trained dentists.

Individual Institutional T32 and T90 Training grants include one or a combination of the following research training opportunities:

Predoctoral dual degree DDS/DMD and PhD degree research training (Dental-Scientist Training Program, DSTP)
Predoctoral PhD research training
Postdoctoral research training for dentists leading to the PhD or equivalent research degree, or leading to the Masters in Clinical Research degree
Postdoctoral research training for dentist scientists or individuals with another clinical doctoral degree (e.g., MD, DVM, DO, OD, PharmD, ND)
Postdoctoral research training for non-clinician PhD scientists, including oral pathobiology training to provide an understanding of the clinical relevance of their basic science research activities, and to better prepare these scientists for independent careers in dental, oral and craniofacial research

The R90 component of T90/R90 programs provides:

Postdoctoral research training for non-US citizen dentists, which may lead the PhD or equivalent research degree.

See Current Institutional Training Programs for the contact information of the training grant program director and a brief description of each T32 and T90/R90 program. Dual degree students, PhD students and postdoctoral scientists should contact the training director at the institution(s) they are interested in to inquire about available opportunities.

NIDCR Institutional K12 Dental Specialty and PhD Programs (DSPP)

The NIDCR Dental Specialty and PhD Program (DSPP), RFA-DE-23-001, supports institutional research career development (K12) programs that propose to develop outstanding clinician scientists (K12 “Scholars”) through an integrated program of advanced clinical training in a recognized dental specialty and supervised research training leading to a PhD in biomedical or behavioral science, or in another field applicable to dental, oral and craniofacial research. The combined program is expected to accelerate the process of early career dentist scientists in achieving competencies in both clinical and research areas and facilitate the transition to an independent and productive research career dedicated to improving dental, oral and craniofacial health. Eligible Scholars must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or non-citizen nationals. This program allows the appointment of Scholars proposing to gain research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor, as part of their research and career development experience.

See Current NIDCR Institutional K12 NIDCR Dental Specialty and PhD Programs (DSPP) for the contact information of the DSPP program and a brief description of the dental specialty and research training opportunities offered by each K12 DSPP.Dentists interested in a program should contact the program director or other designated individual at the institution(s) to inquire about available opportunities.

Institutional Training and Research Education Funding Opportunity Announcements

NIDCR Institutional T32 PAR-20-044 and T90/R90 PAR-20-056 Funding Opportunity Announcements

The NIDCR will award Institutional Training Grants (T32, T90/R90) to eligible, domestic institutions to enhance predoctoral and postdoctoral research training to ensure a diverse and highly qualified workforce is available to address the Nation’s biomedical, behavioral and clinical research agenda. NIDCR seeks to support research training programs that incorporate didactic, research, and career development components to prepare a diverse cadre of individuals for careers as independent scientists that will have a significant impact on the dental, oral, and craniofacial health-related research needs of the Nation.

Only one application in response to PAR-20-044 (T32) or PAR-20-056 (T90/R90) is allowed.

PAR-20-044 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Training for a Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research Workforce (T32)
The NIDCR Institutional T32 award supports predoctoral and postdoctoral research training for US citizens and permanent residents.

PAR-20-056 Institutional Training for a Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research Workforce (T90/R90 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The NIDCR Institutional T90/R90 award: the T90 component supports predoctoral and postdoctoral research training for US citizens and permanent residents; the R90 component provides postdoctoral research education for noncitizen dentist scientists.

Institutional Research Training Programs in Low-and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs)

The NIH Fogarty International Center (FIC ) invites applications for research training programs from low- and middle-income country (LMIC) institution(s) with existing research and research training capacity in chronic, non-communicable diseases and disorders (NCDs). LMICs are defined by the World Bank classification system. NIDCR’s participation in these programs is to encourage applications that develop research capacity to improve dental, oral, and craniofacial health across the lifespan.

Chronic, Non-Communicable Diseases and Disorders Across the Lifespan: Fogarty International Research Training Award (NCD-LIFESPAN) (D43 Clinical Trial Optional) PAR-21-230

The D43 NCD-LIFESPAN) program encourages application for institutional research training programs in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs, as defined by the World Bank classification system). Applications may be for collaborations between institutions in the U.S and an eligible LMIC or may involve just LMIC institutions if there is a previous track record of externally funded research and/or research training programs by the lead LMIC institution. The proposed institutional research training program is expected to sustainably strengthen the NCD research capacity of the LMIC institutions, and to train in-country experts to develop and conduct research on NCDs across the lifespan, with the long-range goal of developing and implementing evidence-based interventions relevant to their countries. Interdisciplinary research training that cuts across NCDs is encouraged. However, for more topical applications, the main focus of research training covered in the application must be relevant to the interests of at least one of the participating NIH ICs, other than FIC, as stated by each in this FOA. Other NCD topics and types of training may be included as secondary and complementary focus areas.

Institutional Research Education

NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) (R25 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
The SEPA program supports pre-kindergarten through grade 12 and informal science education (ISE) activities that: (1) enhance the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral and clinical research workforce and (2) foster a better understanding of NIH-funded biomedical, behavioral and clinical research and its public health implications. The SEPA program targets two primary audiences: (1) SEPA formal or classroom-based projects, provide STEM content, pedagogical expertise, and problem solving skills to teachers, students, and families in communities not generally supported by advanced and innovative educational practices: (2) SEPA informal science education (ISE) activities, conducted in outside-the-classroom venues as well as in science centers and museums, target both workforce diversity and improved public health literacy. NIDCR will support innovative research educational activities in research areas relevant to the NIDCR mission to advance fundamental knowledge about dental, oral, and craniofacial health and disease. NIDCR expects educational, outreach and research activities to emphasize participation of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in dental, oral, and craniofacial research. Applications that include partnerships with dental schools are also encouraged.

Clinical Research Education and Career Development (CRECD) Program (R25-Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
The purpose of the Clinical Research Education and Career Development (CRECD) Program is to expand the national capability to improve diversity of the research workforce in the health sciences by developing education and research experiences in clinical, behavioral and population sciences through providing grant support to low resourced institutions whose historical mission is educating and training individuals from groups underrepresented in the biomedical sciences that offer doctorate or professional degrees in the health professions or in a health-related science. These institutions historically have educated and trained professionals from diverse backgrounds who provide health care to health disparities populations and are uniquely positioned to engage these populations in research and in the translation of research advances into culturally appropriate, measurable, and sustained improvements in health outcomes.

The goal of this R25 program is to support educational activities that encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, to pursue further studies or careers in research . This program will support creative educational activities with a primary focus on: Courses for Skills Development and Research Experiences.

CRECD awards will support implementation of and participation in courses/curricula to enhance knowledge in how to design, plan and operationalize clinical research with a focus on the science of minority health and health disparities. CRECD awards will provide research and related experiences for postdoctoral-level medical, dental, nursing, and other clinical or mental health fellows and clinical early stage investigators (junior faculty who are within seven years of their first faculty appointment) who are part of the translational, patient-oriented and/or population health research workforce.

MOSAIC Institutionally-Focused Research Education Award (UE5)
The MOSAIC UE5 program supports awards to independent organizations (e.g., scientific societies). MOSAIC UE5 awardees will support educational activities that equip MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars with professional skills and provide them with the appropriate mentoring and professional networks to allow them to transition into, advance, and succeed in independent, tenure-track or equivalent research-intensive faculty positions. Awardee organizations must provide career development and mentoring activities aligned with and appropriate for the disciplinary backgrounds of scholars supported through the MOSAIC K99/R00 program. Areas of programmatic need will be indicated through Notices of Special Interest (NOSIs) released annually by NIH. Applications that do not address the program areas of need specified in the NOSI will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed. The NOSI for the November 2021 receipt date is NOT-GM-21-051.

NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research Short Courses in Neurotherapeutics Development (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
This FOA invites Research Education Grant (R25) applications to develop and implement short courses on neurotherapeutics development for academic neuroscientists. The short courses should provide participants with a sufficient overview of the neurotherapeutics development process to (1) understand the steps required for therapeutics development, (2) anticipate and overcome common challenges in the process, and (3) interact effectively with collaborators who have expertise in various aspects of therapeutics development. The short courses should primarily target independent academic neuroscience researchers and senior post-doctoral fellows interested in incorporating treatment development into their research programs.

Summer Research Education Experience Program (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
See NIDCR Notice NOT-DE-21-006 of participation in PAR-21-168.

The overarching goal of this R25 program is to support educational activities that complement and/or enhance the training of a workforce to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral and clinical research needs. To accomplish the stated over-arching goal, this FOA will support creative educational activities with a primary focus on Research Experiences for high school students, undergraduate students, and/or science teachers during the summer academic break.

National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
PAR-19-380 “Initiative to Maximize Research Education in Genomics: Diversity Action Plan (R25)”

The overarching goal of the NHGRI Diversity Action Plan (DAP) R25 program is to support educational activities that enhance the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral, social and clinical research workforce in genomics. This funding opportunity announcement seeks to expose students at the undergraduate, post-baccalaureate and graduate levels who are from diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented groups, to the foundational sciences relevant to genomics to enable them to pursue careers that span all areas of interest to NHGRI. November 6, 2019 - Notice of NIDCR Participation in PAR-19-380. See Notice NOT-DE-19-019.

The NIDCR is interested in applications that enhance the diversity of the NIDCR dental, oral and craniofacial (DOC) research workforce in areas of genomics, genetics, bioinformatics, data science, and in the ethical and social impact of these research activities. NIDCR interests include exposing students at the undergraduate, post-baccalaureate and graduate levels who are from diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented groups, to the foundational sciences relevant to DOC genomics to enable them to pursue careers in areas that are relevant to the NIDCR mission and Strategic Plan.

Potential applicants are encouraged to contact Drs. Frieden and Wang to discuss the relevance of proposed research topic(s).

NIDCR Specific Research Areas

A goal of the NIDCR is to enhance the quantity, quality, and impact of clinical research performed by oral health disparities researchers to meet the nation’s oral health needs. To achieve this goal, the NIDCR is interested in supporting research training and career development of a diverse biomedical, clinical, and behavioral research workforce committed to reducing and eliminating disparities in dental, oral, and craniofacial diseases (DOC) and in promoting oral health equity. For the CRECD program, the NIDCR is interested in supporting postdoctoral and junior faculty candidates who: 1) enroll in didactic courses that align with or augment existing institutional advanced degree programs, such as a Master in Epidemiology or in Clinical Investigation, and 2) pursue research experiences focused on reducing and eliminating oral health disparities and inequities in underserved populations disproportionately affected by DOC conditions.

Anissa Brown, PhD
Research Training and Career Development Branch
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
(301) 594-4805
anissa.brown@nih.gov

Lu Wang, PhD
Translational Genomics Research Branch
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
(301) 594-4846
wanglu@mail.nih.gov

Last Reviewed

October 2022