NIDCR Award for Sustaining Outstanding Achievement in Research (SOAR)

Background

Mid-career investigators who demonstrate exceptional research productivity, mentorship, and professional service to the research community are crucial in driving the dental, oral, craniofacial field. Long term grant support will help propel these investigators’ careers and allow them to embark on ambitious projects that break new ground or take previous discoveries into unexplored directions.

NIDCR’s Response

In 2015, the institute issued the NIDCR Award for Sustaining Outstanding Achievement in Research (SOAR) notice of funding opportunity, or NOFO (formerly known as a funding opportunity announcement). The NOFO invited mid-career researchers with existing NIDCR funding and with an outstanding track record of research to apply. The longer term grant aims to drive visionary and high-reward research, foster creativity, maximize research time, enable mentorship activities, and support career growth.

Seven NOFOs have been issued since 2015: RFA-DE-17-002, RFA-DE-18-002, RFA-DE-18-011, RFA-DE-19-005, RFA-DE-20-002, RFA-DE-22-001, and RFA-DE-24-006.

NIDCR-Funded Awards

As of 2024, NIDCR has issued 16 awards totaling approximately $85 million for up to eight years of support.