AADOCR Bloc Travel Grant - Project Summary
The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial (AADOCR) Bloc Travel Grant program aims to
target a diverse pipeline of the dental, oral, and craniofacial research workforce by providing travel and
meeting support to the most promising U.S. dental and PhD students, residents, and postdoctoral fellows to
attend the AADOCR Annual Meeting – the national multi-disciplinary scientific meeting featuring cutting-edge
dental, oral, and craniofacial research, innovations in clinical care, and state-of-the-art technology - to present
their own research, participate in career development programming, and network with established scientists in
the field. The significance and impact of scientific conferences are enriched when persons from diverse
backgrounds are included in conference organization and attendees are assured of a safe and inclusive
environment. AADOCR is committed to providing a friendly, safe, and welcoming environment for all,
regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or religion.
AADOCR plans to provide travel support to U.S. dental and Ph.D. students, residents, and postdoctoral fellows
with priority given to applicants from diverse backgrounds and underrepresented groups as defined by NIH,
and those not currently receiving NIH funding. AADOCR is requesting support for the AADOCR Bloc Travel
Grant program for three years for U.S. students, residents, and postdoctoral fellows to attend the AADOCR
Annual Meeting & Exhibition scheduled in the following locales: New Orleans, Louisiana (2024); New York,
New York (2025), and San Diego, California (2026).The objectives of the AADOCR Bloc Travel Grant program
are: to provide financial registration and travel support to enable students, residents, and post-doctoral fellows
to present their research in a safe public scientific environment; to proactively outreach, encourage, and
prioritize applications from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, individuals
from disadvantaged backgrounds, and women in continued efforts to develop a diverse scientific research
workforce; to expose U.S. dental, oral, and craniofacial research students, residents, and post-doctoral fellows
to research conducted at institutions across the United States and globally, and to enhance the opportunities
for networking, collaboration, and cross-institution mentorship; to provide support to encourage investigators at
a very early stage of their career to further pursue dental, oral, and craniofacial research as a long-term career;
and to provide a means by which U.S. dental, oral, and craniofacial research students, residents, and
postdoctoral fellows may obtain information on the most current methodologies employed in the latest dental,
oral, and craniofacial investigations.