Pre-doctoral students (DDS/DMD candidates) and Master’s students (2 or 3 year programs) who wish to undertake novel Cariology research are invited to apply for the Student Research Award sponsored by the American Academy of Cariology (AAC).

AWARD

• Up to $3,000 to support the costs of research supplies (budget does not allow for indirect costs).
• Up to $1,000 to support travel expenses to present the research findings at a future AAC annual conference. The registration to attend the AAC conference will be complimentary for the student award recipient.
• A one-year complimentary AAC student membership, which will begin in January 2025.

KEY DATES

• Applications Open: April 1st, 2024
• Submission Deadline: May 31st, 2024

ELIGIBILITY

• Pre-doctoral (DDS/DMD candidates) and Master’s students (2 or 3 year programs) of any dental school in the United States or Canada.
• The applicant’s mentor must be an AAC member.
• Commitment to present the study findings at a future AAC annual conference.

MENTOR

A research mentor, who is a member of the AAC, should be named and serve as a co-signatory to the application. The student’s mentor is asked to provide an assessment of the student’s general standing, attitude and potential aspirations for research, teaching, and/or clinical activities.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications for the award must be submitted electronically no later than May 31st, 2024. The application packet should consist of ONE PDF file containing the documents listed under “Application Content”. Applications not strictly following the requested format will be returned without consideration.

APPLICATION CONTENT

• General Information form (Fill out below).
• Cover letter (written and signed by the applicant and mentor).
• Support letter from research mentor. Mentor must be an AAC member.
• Research protocol (max. 3 pages), including the following subheadings: 1) Abstract (max. 200 words), 2) Research Relevance (max. 3 lines), 3) Background and Rationale, 4) Specific Aims and Hypothesis, 5) Research Plan (research methods including statistical analysis), and 6) Anticipated Outcomes.
• Cited references (max. 1 page).
• Budget and Budget Justification (max. 1 page. Budget may not exceed $3,000; no Indirect Costs allowed).
• Applicant’s summary CV (max. 2 pages).

SELECTION CRITERIA

Research proposals must be in the field of Cariology and may include basic-science, translational and/or clinical disciplines. The proposal may vary considerably in scientific scope and duration, reflecting the different academic programs and level of the student-applicant. The merits of a proposal will be assessed in relation to the academic level of the student-applicant. Selection of the most meritorious project will be made by members of the AAC Board of Directors.

BUDGET

The requested costs for the proposed research should be realistic and may not exceed $3,000. Sources of any additional funds necessary to conduct the proposed research project must be detailed under the Budget Justification section. The budget does not allow for indirect costs. Awardee will be contacted to provide details for payment of the award.

AWARD NOTIFICATION

The recipient will receive a formal notification letter within 60 days of the submission deadline. The awardee will also be announced during the business meeting of the next AAC annual conference.

PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS

The recipient of the award will be required to present the research findings supported by the award in the format of a poster or short oral presentation at an annual AAC meeting. In specific and justified cases, the research mentor may serve as an alternative presenter. The presentation should be given at one of the next two AAC annual meetings after the award. Financial support of up to $1,000 will be provided to offset travel expenses to attend the AAC conference.

FUTURE PUBLICATIONS

Future publications using data generated by the award must mention the financial support provided by the AAC.