Training Grants Sponsored by NIDCR

• Dental Students
• Predoctoral Students
• Postdoctoral Trainees
• Independent Scientists
• Loan Repayment Programs

• Individual Predoctoral Dental Scientist Fellowship (F30)
  Provides a maximum of five years support to students pursuing both DDS/DMD and PhD degrees. An annual stipend and partial tuition are provided. Additional funds are available for other training-related expenses. Applicants must be enrolled in a DDS/DMD program at an accredited U.S. dental school and accepted in a related scientific PhD (or equivalent degree) program. Students attending any accredited U.S. dental school may apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents at the time of award.
• Institutional Dual Degree Programs (DDS/DMD-PhD)
  Provides support to institutions to train dental students who want to pursue careers in biomedical research and academic dentistry. Students participate in an integrated program of graduate training in the biomedical sciences and clinical training offered through participating dental schools. Graduates receive a combined DDS/DMD- PhD degree. Funding is awarded directly to participating institutions, which then select the trainees. Trainees must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents.

Training Opportunities for Dental Students available on the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Maryland

• NIDCR Summer Dental Student Award
  Designed to expose dental students to the latest advances in oral health research and administration. The program is a minimum of eight weeks during the summer on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. NIDCR provides a stipend and the nominating dental school provides support for air or ground transportation. Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited U.S. dental school. U.S. citizenship or permanent residence is required.
  
  
• NIH Summer Research Fellowship
  Provides training in research procedures and principles of independent investigation to first-, second-, and third-year dental and medical students. Students will work with senior research scientists on the campus of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland or at other off-campus NIH locations. A stipend is provided. Students must be enrolled at least half-time in an accredited medical or dental school. U.S. citizenship or permanent residence is required.
  
  
• Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Research Scholars Program
  Participants of the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes-National Institutes of Health (NIH) joint program work in NIH laboratories in Bethesda, Maryland as part of a research team and are given the opportunity to attend conferences and meetings. Most students participate in the year-long program after their second or third year of dental or medical school. Candidates must be in good standing at a U.S. dental or medical school and must receive permission from the school to participate in the program. An annual salary is provided. Joint PhD candidates are not eligible.
  

• NIH Clinical Research Training Program
  Meant to attract research-oriented dental and medical students to the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Fellows spend a year engaged in a mentored clinical research project in an area that matches their personal interests and goals. An annual stipend is provided and moving expenses are reimbursed. Candidates must have completed a year of clinical rotations prior to starting the program. U.S. citizenship or permanent residence is required.

• Individual Predoctoral Dental Scientist Fellowship (F30)
  Provides a maximum of five years support to students pursuing both DDS/DMD and PhD degrees. An annual stipend and partial tuition are provided. Additional funds are available for other training-related expenses. Applicants must be enrolled in a DDS/DMD program at an accredited U.S. dental school and accepted in a related scientific PhD (or equivalent degree) program. Students attending any accredited U.S. dental school may apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents at the time of award.
• Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellows (F31)
  Provides support to students who have identified a dissertation project and an appropriate dissertation director in an area of research supported by NIDCR as described in the Institute’s Strategic Plan. Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree and must be enrolled in a PhD research program.  Applicants must be at the dissertation research stage of their doctoral training.
  
  

• Institutional NRSA Research Training Grant (T32)
  Provides support to institutions for several types of research training: (1) up to five years support to individuals pursuing a PhD degree; (2) up to five years of support (with possibility of extension) to individuals pursuing a combined DDS/DMD-PhD degree; (3) up to one year of support for dental students wishing to interrupt their studies to engage in full-time research; (4) up to three months per year to dental students or faculty wishing to gain research experience. Funding is awarded directly to participating institutions, which then select the trainees. Trainees must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents.

• Graduate Partnerships Program
  Allows students to conduct research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland while they are pursuing a PhD in the biomedical sciences. Prospective PhD students must apply to university programs that have a formal partnership with NIH. Candidates must submit both the university application and the online Graduate Partnerships Program application. They also must meet the admission deadline established by each program and have U.S. citizenship or permanent residence. A stipend is provided.

Postdoctoral Training and Career Development

• Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (K08)
  The purpose of the NIDCR K08 mechanism is to encourage dentists or other clinicians to pursue a career in oral health research. The prospective candidate must have a DDS/DMD, MD or other clinical doctoral degree, and be willing to spend a minimum of 75 percent of full-time professional effort conducting research. Priority will be given to dentists who wish to pursue a program that includes didactic and supervised basic or behavioral science research experiences that result in the PhD degree. Health professionals who already have the PhD degree may use the award for postdoctoral experience. The NIDCR does not allow support for clinical specialty training to be provided under this program.

  Supports three to five years of supervised research experience that integrates didactic studies with mentored basic, behavioral or laboratory research. An annual salary plus commensurate fringe benefits are provided. Additional funds are available for training related expenses. Applicants must have a sponsoring institution and mentor. Applicants must also be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents at the time of award.

• Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
  Supports three to five years of supervised study for clinically trained professionals with a doctoral degree to pursue training in patient-oriented research. Patient-oriented research is defined as research conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin such as tissues, specimens, and cognitive phenomena) for which an investigator directly interacts with human subjects. This area of research includes: 1) mechanisms of human disease; 2) therapeutic interventions; 3) clinical trials, and; 4) the development of new technologies.
  
  Candidates must have a sponsoring institution and mentor. Salary, fringe benefits, and training-related expenses are provided. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents at the time of award.

• NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00)
  This two-phase award provides the opportunity for promising postdoctoral scientists to receive both mentored and independent research support from the same award. The initial 1-2 year mentored phase will allow investigators to complete their supervised research work, publish results, and search for an independent research position. The second, independent phase, years 3-5, will allow awardees who secure an assistant professorship, or equivalent position, to establish their own research program and successfully apply for an NIH Investigator-Initiated (R01) grant.
  
  Outstanding postdoctoral candidates who have terminal clinical or research doctorates (or equivalent doctoral degrees) and who have no more than 5 years of postdoctoral research training at the time of initial application, or subsequent resubmission(s) are eligible. Former principal investigators of NIH Small Grants (R03) or Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21) are also eligible.
  
  The NIDCR welcomes applications from postdoctoral scientists seeking to establish an independent research career in social, behavioral, biomedical, and biological science fields relevant to the NIDCR Strategic Plan. Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to a career in oral health research, and funding priority will be given to applicants holding a dental degree.
  
  In addition, although previous K awardees are not generally eligible to apply for a second K award, the NIDCR will accept K99/R00 applications from dentist scientists who have used a previous NIDCR-funded K08 or K23 award to earn the PhD degree. Such applicants must have completed the PhD before applying. All other eligibility requirements and conditions of the K99/R00 mechanism apply.
  
  For more details regarding the Pathway to Independence Award, see the NIH New Investigators website.    

• Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (K25)
  Supports career development of investigators with quantitative scientific and engineering backgrounds outside of biology or medicine who wish to focus their research on behavioral, basic or clinical biomedical research. Candidates must have an advanced degree in a quantitative area of science or engineering (e.g. MSEE, PhD, DSc) and have a sponsoring institution and mentor. Salary, fringe benefits and additional funds for research support are provided. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents at the time of award.

• Individual NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32)
  Provides up to three years support for trainees at academic institutions to broaden their scientific background or extend their potential for research in health-related areas. Applicants must have a doctoral degree. The stipend ranges depending on years of postdoctoral experience. Additional funds are available for other training related expenses. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents at the time of award.

• Institutional NRSA Research Training Grant (T32)
  Provides support to institutions to develop a comprehensive program that provides opportunities for postdoctoral and short-term training in an area of dental, oral or craniofacial research. Postdoctoral trainees may receive support for up to three years. The stipend ranges depending on years of postdoctoral experience. Additional funds are available for other training related expenses. Funding is awarded directly to participating institutions, which then select the trainees. Trainees must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents.
  
  
• Postdoctoral Fellowships
  Various positions are available at the NIDCR/NIH in Bethesda, Maryland to train professionals with a PhD and/or a DDS, DMD, MD, or DVM. Applicants must be within five years of their graduation date and have fewer than five years previous postdoctoral experience to apply. Stipend amounts depend on the level of experience and the type of positions available. Prospective applicants can view current NIH postdoctoral openings and contact individual NIDCR laboratories of interest to identify future research positions. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. US citizens and non-US citizens may apply.
  
  
• NIDCR Clinical Research Fellowship
  This is a two-year full-time program designed to train health professionals in the latest clinical research methodologies. Qualified applicants hold a DDS/DMD, MD/DO, RN, or RDH degree and have demonstrated a sustained interest in dental/oral/craniofacial research, as evidenced by prior research experience and/or masters or doctoral level education beyond clinical training. Projects are designed to facilitate translational research in which clinical research projects are conducted that complement basic science laboratory projects. Fellows work with investigators in the Clinical Research Core and the Human Craniofacial Genetics section. Fellows are provided with a stipend and may be eligible for NIH Loan Repayment Programs. For more information contact Demetrio L. Domingo, DDS, MS, Program Coordinator at 301-594-9726 or ddomingo@mail.nih.gov

Independent Scientists

• Independent Scientist Award (K02)
  Provides up to five years support to newly independent scientists who have a concurrent R01award from the NIDCR. Salary and fringe benefits are provided. Additional funds are available for other training related expenses. Candidates must have a doctoral degree. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents at the time of award.
• Mid-Career Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (K24)
  Provides up to five years support to mid-career clinical scientists at academic institutions. Up to 50 percent release time is provided to awardees to pursue patient-oriented research and act as mentors for beginning clinical investigators. Salary plus fringe benefits are provided. Additional funds are provided for research-related expenses. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents at the time of award.
  
  • See NIH Notice clarifying eligibility for K24.
    

• Individual NRSA Senior Fellowship (F33)
  Provides health research training for experienced scientists, enabling them to update their skills or make changes in the direction of their career. Support may be requested for up to two years. A stipend is provided. Additional funds are available for other training related expenses. Applicants must be at least seven years beyond the qualifying doctoral degree and have a sponsoring institution and mentor. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents at the time of award.

• Institutional NRSA Research Training Grant (T32)
  Provides support to institutions for short-term (not to exceed three months per year) training of junior faculty interested in obtaining research experience and of mid-career or senior scientists interested in retraining or updating their knowledge and skills in a new scientific area or research technique. Funding is awarded directly to participating institutions, which then select the trainees. Domestic non-profit, public, or private academic research institutions are eligible to apply. Trainees must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents.

Institutional Training Grants

• Institutional NRSA Research Training Grant (T32)
  Provides support to institutions for several types of research training: (1) up to five years of support to individuals pursuing only a PhD; (2) up to five years of support (with possibility of extension) to individuals pursuing a combined DDS/DMD-PhD degree; (3) up to one year of support for dental students wishing to interrupt their studies to engage in full-time research; (4) up to three months per year to dental students or faculty desiring to gain research experience. Funding is awarded directly to participating institutions, which then select the trainees. Trainees must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents.

• Dental School Joint DDS or DMD/Masters Degree NRSA Research Training Program (T32)
  Provides support to dental schools that propose to develop a joint DDS or DMD/Masters degree training program. The Masters degree must be in clinical/behavorial research, or in public health. The goal of this initiative is to make research training an integral component of the dental school environment and encourage more dental students to pursue academic research careers by providing an opportunity to gain research experience.

  Loan Repayment Programs
  
• Loan Repayment Programs
  Meant to attract talented health professionals to careers in clinical, health disparity, pediatric, or contraceptive and infertility research. In exchange for a two-year commitment to your research career, the National Institutes of Health will repay up to $35,000 per year of qualified educational debt, pay an additional 39% of the repayments to cover Federal taxes, and may reimburse any state taxes that result from these benefits. Applicants must (1) have a doctoral degree from an accredited institution; (2) be a government employee (3) have qualifying student loan debt equal to at least 20% of annual salary; (4) be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents.