National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

Only in certain circumstances, NIDCR may consider providing administrative supplements to existing awards. Applicants are encouraged to contact an NIDCR Program Officer prior to submission. 

Any administrative supplement submitted to NIDCR must be received no later than July 1 to be considered for funding in that fiscal year.

For questions regarding administrative supplements, please contact your NIDCR Program Officer or email [email protected] and include "Administrative supplement" in the subject line.

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) supports scientific conferences, including symposia, seminars, and workshops, that align with its mission to improve dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) health. Eligibility is limited to domestic institutions and organizations, including established scientific and professional societies. 

NIDCR prioritizes applications for meetings that:

• Are open to the broader scientific community
• Represent emerging areas of DOC research
• Highlight innovative approaches to achieving research objectives
• Engage early-career investigators, students, and postdoctoral fellows
• Provide dedicated travel support to facilitate participation of early-career scientists

Applications will generally not be considered for support if they primarily propose clinical training without a substantive research focus, limit attendance to a restricted audience, or address topics outside the mission and programmatic interests of NIDCR.

Primary support of conferences is limited to a maximum of $30,000 per meeting, but the actual award will be contingent upon availability of funds and programmatic priorities. Secondary support of a conference is usually limited to $3,000 and may be requested if another institute or center (IC) at NIH has agreed to provide primary support. NIDCR will serve as secondary IC on such applications.

NIDCR follows standard R13 receipt dates.
 

NIDCR supports applications for up to 5 years of support for a series of recurring meetings.

• NIDCR provides support on a year-by-year basis; future years are not guaranteed.
• Each year of a recurring meeting is reviewed and considered independently.
• Funding decisions are based on alignment with NIDCR mission and current program priorities.

NIDCR Program Staff

[email protected]

NIDCR supports mentored research training and career development of individuals with research or clinical doctoral degrees proposing basic, behavioral, translational and/or patient oriented research, analysis and discoveries that advance dental, oral and craniofacial health. 

• Research Scientist Development Award (K01) 
• Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (K08) 
• Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) 
• Quantitative Research Career Development Award (K25) 
• NIH Parent and NIDCR Dual Degree Dentist Scientist Pathway to Independence (K99/R00) 
• Independent Scientist Award (K02) 

NIDCR prioritizes funding for postdoctoral fellows, non-tenured early career faculty and clinician scientists. For K08 & K23 programs, dentists may use the award to pursue graduate research training that results in a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree. For the Independent Scientist Award (K02), NIDCR supports recent independent scientists with active NIDCR R01 or equivalent research project grant as Principal Investigator (PI) by providing protected time to focus on their research careers.  

NIDCR limits project periods as follows:

• 2-5 years for K02
• 3-5 years for K01, K08, K23 and K25
• 1-2 years for K99
• For the R00 phase:
  • Up to 3 years under NIH parent announcement and 5 years under NIDCR Dual Degree Dentist Scientist Pathway to Independence for awardees who secure a U.S dental school faculty position with concurrent enrollment in a clinical dental specialty program.   

• NIDCR will support up to $100,000 in salary plus fringe benefits per year.

NIDCR will provide research support at the following levels:

• $25,000 per year for K01, K08, K23, K25 and K99
• $15,000 per year for K02

• NIDCR expects candidates to commit a minimum of 75% full-time professional effort to their program of career development.​
• NIDCR will allow surgeon scientists with active surgical duties and those pursuing surgical specialty training during the K award to devote a minimum of 50% full-time professional effort to research and career development activities associated with the K award.

Research Training & Career Development Branch
[email protected]

• NIDCR funds predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships, participating in all parent Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Fellowships, and the INCLUDE Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Transition Award (F99/K00).
• NIDCR also funds Individual Senior Fellowships (e.g., F33).

• INCLUDE Pre to Postdoctoral Transition Award (F99/K00)
  • F99 Predoctoral: Minimum of one year and up to two years
  • K00 Postdoctoral: Up to four years
• Individual Predoctoral NRSA for M.D./Ph.D. Fellowships (F30)
  • Maximum of 6 years of support

• INCLUDE F99 Predoctoral
  • Institutional allowance: NRSA levels, Tuition: NRSA levels + $1500 meeting for the 1st year 
• INCLUDE K00 Postdoctoral
  • Salary: up to $75000; up to $3000/year for research development; $1500 meeting for the 1st year; Tuition: not allowed, but research support could be used to cover eligible short term courses or training
• Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31)
  • Institutional allowance: NRSA levels + $800 meeting
• Individual Predoctoral NRSA for M.D./Ph.D. Fellowships (F30)
  •  Institutional allowance: NRSA levels + $800 meeting
• Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32)
  • Institutional allowance: NRSA levels + $800 meeting

Research Training & Career Development Branch
[email protected]

NIDCR encourages institutions to develop innovative and novel research training opportunities that enhance the research workforce pipeline dedicated to improving dental, oral and craniofacial health (DOC). NIDCR prioritizes training programs with a robust curriculum of study, programmatic activities and research experiences that will facilitate development toward independent research careers in DOC research areas.

• Predoctoral Ph.D., and dual degree D.D.S./D.M.D. and Ph.D. degree 
• Postdoctoral training for dentists leading to Ph.D. or equivalent research degree, or master’s in clinical research or public health
• Postdoctoral training for dentists or individuals with other clinical doctoral degrees, and for non-clinician Ph.D. scientists

NIDCR will fund a maximum of 10 trainee slots per T32 training grant

• Support for up to five years

• NIDCR supports travel costs up to $800 per full time trainee per year.

Research Training & Career Development Branch
[email protected]

• NIDCR supports institutions that provide high-quality research experiences for high school and college students and for science teachers during the summer academic break; summer research experiences must be in priority scientific, health-related research fields relevant to the NIDCR mission.
• NIDCR encourages data intensive projects focused on developing, disseminating, and using data and data science resources, methods, and tools for dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) research.  
• NIDCR expects these projects to maximally integrate and reuse research, health, and clinical data for knowledge discovery and translation.  

NIDCR only considers Research Education applications during October council.​

• Undergraduate

NIDCR supports a minimum of 8 weeks and a maximum of 15 weeks of research education experience each year for participants.

NIDCR will consider summer research educational experience programs up to $125,000 in direct costs per year.

• Up to $50,000 combined salary, administrative, clerical or other staff with responsibilities directly associated with designing, directing and administering the research experience program.  
• Participant costs generally include salary and fringe benefits for high school and undergraduate students consistent with institutional salary policies. Up to $21,000 for 15 weeks for a science teacher, and prorated if shorter.  
• Other program-related expenses support may be considered to defray the cost of housing, registration fees or tuition, consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel for key persons, and other program-related expenses.

Research Training & Career Development Branch
[email protected]

NIDCR supports small business–led development of technologies and products that translate dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) research into clinically actionable solutions across the lifespan. Emphasis is on feasibility, validation, regulatory readiness, and commercialization. Projects should align with NIDCR’s goal to rapidly translate oral health innovations toward clinical impact. Early engagement with program staff is encouraged to ensure alignment with mission and priorities. Scientific areas of interest include: 

• Targeted DOC diagnostics and therapeutic platforms for tooth-related diseases and periodontal/peri-implant conditions
• Orofacial pain assessment and management technologies, including clinical decision support
• Oral microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutic platforms for polymicrobial diseases
• AI/ML-enabled predictive health and clinical decision support tools for DOC care
• Advanced dental materials, restorative technologies, and digital manufacturing systems
• Regenerative medicine technologies for craniofacial and dental tissue reconstruction
• Immunomodulatory and precision therapeutic delivery systems for oral and craniofacial conditions
• Digital behavioral and monitoring tools targeting DOC outcomes
• Real-world evidence and patient outcome data platforms to support clinical adoption, evidence generation, and downstream coverage considerations
• Implementation and dissemination technologies for priority-population oral health interventions
• Integrated oral–systemic health assessment and intervention platforms
• Regulatory and commercialization readiness tooling to support evidence generation, usability, and market adoption

Small Business Program

[email protected]