NIDCR Dentist Scientist Career Transition Award for Intramural Investigators

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  1. Goal
  2. Background
  3. Specific Areas of Interest
  4. References

May 2021

Research Training and Career Development Branch
Division of Extramural Activities

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Goal

The goal of the NIDCR Dentist Scientist Career Transition Award for Intramural Investigators is to provide support for outstanding dentists conducting postdoctoral research in NIH Intramural Laboratories and the NIH Clinical Research Center to successfully transition to research intensive academic faculty positions. NIDCR intramural research programs provide a strong environment for postdoctoral training, including a customized postdoctoral program for dentists. The transition from an NIH intramural postdoctoral fellow to a tenure track faculty position at a United States extramural institution can be particularly challenging. As federal employees, NIH postdoctoral fellows are not eligible for most NIH extramural grant opportunities and may not have as much exposure to the NIH extramural grants and funding process as extramural postdoctoral fellows. The objective of this initiative is to re-issue the NIDCR Dentist Scientist Career Transition Award for Intramural Investigators and continue this unique research pathway and provide an opportunity to complement ongoing NIDCR research career awards for dentist scientists. The expected outcome of this initiative is an increase in the numbers of well-trained dentist scientists who can apply their clinical expertise and robust research training to improve in dental, oral and craniofacial health.

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Background

The NIH Intramural Research Program and NIH Clinical Research Center provide opportunities for research training and career development in areas that span from basic science to patient-oriented research and multidisciplinary team research. The NIDCR Intramural Research program provides tailored career development opportunities for dentists at both student and postdoctoral career stages (Aitken, et al., 2021). In particular, the NIDCR Dental Clinical Research Fellowship is designed for dentist scientists and supports mentored postdoctoral research training in basic, translational or patient oriented research at the NIDCR Intramural Research Program and the NIH Clinical Research Center. The NIDCR Dental Clinical Research Fellowship can serve as an important next step for individuals who received prior NIDCR extramural funding for dual degree DDS-DMD, PhD training. Many dentist scientists leave the research workforce following completion of dual degree training and it is important to provide structured pathways at the postdoctoral and junior faculty level to promote research career progression (D’Souza et. al. 2017, Physician Scientist Workforce Report, 2014).

In 2012 NIDCR issued the NIDCR Dentist Scientist Career Transition Award for Intramural Investigators (K22) funding opportunity announcement order to expand opportunities for dentists training at NIH to achieve academic faculty positions outside of NIH. The K22 program has two award phases: Phase I supports two years of mentored research training for individuals with clinical dental degrees or dental and PhD degrees conducting research in NIH Intramural Laboratories. This phase is supported by intramural funds. Upon achieving a tenure-track research faculty position at a United States extramural institution, the K22 awardee is eligible for Phase II of the award: three years of extramural research funding at the extramural Institution. During both award phases, the awardee must dedicate a minimum of 75% effort to research activities. U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals and permanent residents are eligible for this program.

The NIDCR Dentist Scientist Career Transition Award for Intramural Investigators provides opportunity to complement ongoing NIDCR research career awards for dentists. Dentists conducting postdoctoral research training at NIH are also eligible to apply for Pathway to Independence Awards (K99/R00); however, they must have no more than four years of postdoctoral research experience by the K99 submission or resubmission deadline. The K22 provides an opportunity for dentists working at NIH Intramural Programs to apply for an extramural award if they do not meet K99 eligibility in terms of postdoctoral research experience. This allows investigators to engage projects that may take longer to develop, such as a high-risk project, patient-oriented research, or a change in research direction. In addition, the K22 program enables postdoctoral fellows to receive grant writing training and exposure to the NIH peer review process, which is important for research career progression. Finally, an award with eligibility limited to dentists working at NIH Intramural Laboratories can encourage those individuals to take advantage of the unique postdoctoral research training environment offered by the NIDCR Intramural Research Program, particularly if there is clear pathway to transition to academic research upon completion of training.

Since 2012, three individuals have applied for NIDCR K22 awards and two have been approved for funding. Following completion of K22 phase I, one awardee transitioned to a research faculty position at NIH Intramural Laboratories and was therefore not eligible for the extramural phase II of the award. One individual is currently in K22 phase I training in an NIDCR Intramural Research Program.

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Specific Areas of Interest

NIDCR is interested in supporting dentist and dentist-PhD scientists who are conducting postdoctoral research at the NIH Intramural Research program in fields relevant to the NIDCR Mission. Dentists with prior NIDCR funding as well as those who did not receive prior research support are encouraged to participate.

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References

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Last Reviewed
April 2024