American Dental Association Foundation replaces unsolicited grants program with more focused approach
The ADA Foundation, charitable arm of the American Dental Association, has discontinued its general unsolicited grants program, replacing it with a more focused approach to support oral health research, dental education and access-to-care projects.
The unsolicited grants' program ended August 11, 2004.
"We will continue to support dental research, education and access-to-care programs," explains Arthur A. Dugoni, DDS, MSD, president of the ADA Foundation, "but this change by the foundation's board of directors allows us to concentrate our resources to impact more on a selected area of oral health over a selected period of time."
Beginning in 2005, the ADA Foundation will initiate an annual Request for Proposal (RFP) program focused on one of its mission components -- dental education, access to care or dental research topics.
"Given the foundation's current activities in the area of dental education," says Dr. Dugoni, " our first RFP will be titled, 'Enhancing the Dental School Faculty Workforce,' and has been designed to stimulate the development of innovative methods to recruit and retain new dental faculty members."
The dental education RFP will be available during the first quarter of 2005. In addition, it is anticipated the ADA Foundation's RFP for 2006 will address an access-to-care issue, dental research in 2007 and dental education again in 2008.
The ADA Foundation will continue to accept grant requests through other selected programs such as the Harris Fund for Children's Dental Health Grants Program, the Scholarship Program and Charitable Assistance Program, which include relief and disaster assistance.
About the ADA Foundation
The ADA Foundation is dedicated to improving health and making lives better, one person at a time. Since 1991, the ADA Foundation has disbursed nearly $24 million dollars to support such charitable activities. In addition to funding grants for dental research, education, scholarships and access to care, the Foundation supports Charitable Assistance Programs such as relief grants to dentists and their dependents who are unable to support themselves due to injury, a medical condition or advanced age; and grants and loans to those who are victims of disasters. For more information, visit http://www.ada.org/ada/prod/adaf/index.asp
