Fueling Research to Propel our Specialty Forth
Groundbreaking research fuels the specialty and gives both established and developing endodontists the tools to achieve excellence in patient care, saving natural teeth whenever possible. Supporting endodontic research with resources and funding is one of the Foundation for Endodontics’ highest priorities. From 1990 to 2000, the Foundation funded $1 million in research; since 2001, the Foundation has invested over $6 million in research.
At the Foundation Board of Trustees Interim Meeting on November 9, 2018, the Board will review a slate of competitive research grants brought forth by the Research and Scientific Affairs Committee. Competitive research grants are awarded twice a year. Grants are reviewed and evaluated by the AAE’s Research and Scientific Affairs Committee, who serves as consult to the Foundation’s research grant process. This committee works hard to determine which projects show the most promise for scientific merit and value. Watch for an email announcement with the slate of grants approved in late November.
The committee also looks for research proposals that show promise for future, large-scale governmental funding. Funding investigators who are searching for answers and outcomes to fuel the future of endodontics is vital.
The research proposal, “Role of histone demethylase Kdm3C in age-associated oral and systemic inflammation,” submitted by Dr. Alan Commet, a resident at the University of California at Los Angeles, was funded by the Foundation during the Fall 2013 competitive research grant cycle for $15,960. The research group, led by Department Chair Dr. Mo Kang at UCLA recently shared some exciting news. The seed funding from the Foundation for Endodontics supported the start of the project, allowing the research team to collect enough data to eventually apply and secure federal funding. The project was recently funded by NIH for a total of $429,000! This illustrates how important funding from the Foundation is, to support research projects in their initial stages. The Foundation is proud to play a small role in the process of securing federal funding to enhance the science and knowledge that benefit the specialty.
Another kind of research the Foundation supports on a rolling deadline, is resident research. In fact, the Foundation provides a $500 grant to every endodontic resident to fund activities related to research or education. The funding is payable on a one-time basis. The money can be used for the following activities:
- To fund an individual resident’s research project
- To supplement a competitive research grant award
- For travel to a meeting to present research
- For travel to a board review course
- For other activities related to research
As of January 2018, an additional $500 grant is also available for each resident who uses the initial $500 award towards a research project. The additional $500 becomes available once the initial $500 grant has been awarded and used.
When skimming research abstracts published in the online pages of the Journal of Endodontics for presentation at AAE annual meetings, you will be find many resident presenters paying homage to the Foundation for this specific research support.
The Foundation for Endodontics is pleased to support endodontic research at varying levels to increase the strength, quality and visibility of endodontics. Learn more.