HRSA Program and Equipment Grant Applications Posted –
Dental Hygiene Programs, Faculty and Students Eligible

Applications for grants to fund equipment and programming for dental and dental hygiene programs, faculty, and students have been posted online at www.grants.gov.   The grants are administered by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under Title VII of the Public Health Service Act.  This year marks the first time dental hygiene education programs, faculty, and students are eligible to apply for grants.

Now is the time to apply!  Below you will find a brief listing of the grants that dental hygiene entities are eligible to apply for along a link to the specific webpage for each grant listed. Applicants will have just a short window of time to apply for the grants – please note the May deadlines for each grant.

Applications along with detailed guidance/instructions and contact for HRSA staff overseeing each grant can be found at the links listed or www.grants.gov.   These grants represent a significant opportunity for the dental hygiene profession – we encourage you to consider applying!

The following grants are open to dental hygiene programs, faculty, and/or students:

HRSA-10-258
Equipment to Enhance Training for Health Professionals-Predoctoral Training in General, Pediatric, and Public Health Dentistry
This funding opportunity is one of many for the Equipment to Enhance Training for Health Professionals (EETHP) program.  For purposes of this initiative, the term equipment is defined as tangible items with a unit cost of $5,000 or more and a useful life of one or more years.   

• Funds may be used to plan, develop, and operate, or participate in, an approved professional training program in the field of general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, or public health dentistry for dental or dental hygiene students, dental hygienists, or other approved primary care dental trainees, that emphasizes training for general, pediatric, or public health dentistry.
• Funds may be used to provide financial assistance to dental or dental hygiene students, or practicing dental hygienists who are in need thereof, and who are participants in any such training  program, and who plan to work in the practice of general, pediatric or public heath dentistry or dental hygiene. 
• Funds may be used in support of an accredited master’s in public health program for dental and dental hygiene students in need of such support.  Note that support is limited to students only.
• Funds may be used to meet the costs of projects to establish, maintain, or improve pre-doctoral training in primary care dentistry (general, pediatric, and public health dentistry and dental hygiene) programs.

Estimated Award Levels: $5,000 - $300,000
Deadline: May 20, 2010

HRSA-10-245
Equipment to Enhance Training for Health Professionals-Faculty Development Training in General, Pediatric, and Public Health Dentistry and Dental Hygiene
This funding opportunity is one of many for the Equipment to Enhance Training for Health Professionals (EETHP) program.  For purposes of this initiative, the term equipment is defined as tangible items with a unit cost of $5,000 or more and a useful life of one or more years.   

• Funds may be used to plan, develop, and operate a program for the training of oral health care providers who plan to teach in general, pediatric, public health dentistry, or dental hygiene.
• Funds may be used to provide financial assistance in the form of traineeships and fellowships to dentists who plan to teach or are teaching in general, pediatric, or public health dentistry.
• Funds may be used to meet the costs of projects to establish, maintain, or improve dental faculty development programs.

Grant Award Levels: $5,000 - $300,000
Deadline: May 20, 2010

HRSA-10-263
Faculty Development in General, Pediatric, and Public Health Dentistry and Dental Hygiene
To plan, develop, and operate a program for the training in oral health care providers who plan to teach in general, pediatric, public health dentistry, or dental hygiene; and to provide financial assistance in the form of traineeships and fellowships to dentists who plan to teach or are teaching in general, pediatric, or public health dentistry.

• Funds may be used to plan, develop, and operate a program for the training of oral health care providers who plan to teach in general, pediatric, public health dentistry, or dental hygiene.
• Funds may be used to provide financial assistance in the form of traineeships and fellowships to dentists who plan to teach or are teaching in general, pediatric, or public health dentistry.
• Funds may be used to meet the costs of projects to establish, maintain, or improve dental faculty development programs.

Estimated Award Levels: $55,000 to $650,000
Deadline: May 28, 2010

HRSA-10-260
Dental Faculty Loan Repayment
A grant may be awarded to a program of general, pediatric, or public health dentistry described in subsection to plan, develop, and operate a loan repayment program under which individuals agree to serve full-time as faculty members; and the program of general, pediatric or public health dentistry agrees to pay the principal and interest on the outstanding student loans of the individuals.

• Funds may be used to plan, develop, and operate a dental faculty loan repayment program for faculty engaged in primary care dentistry to include general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, public health dentistry, and dental hygiene.
• Individuals participating in the program must agree to serve as full-time faculty members.
• The program must agree to pay the principal and interest on the outstanding student loans of the individuals.  Upon completion by an individual of each of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth years of service, the program shall pay an amount equal to 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 percent, respectively, of the individual’s student loan balance as calculated based on principal and interest owed at the initiation of the agreement

Estimated Award Levels: $55,000 to $650,000
Deadline: May 28, 2010

HRSA-10-262
Predoctoral Training in General, Pediatric, and Public Health Dentistry and Dental Hygiene
To meet the costs of projects to establish, maintain, or improve predoctoral training in primary care programs.  Entities eligible for grants to support training in general, pediatric, or public health dentistry include entities that have programs in dental or dental hygiene schools; or have approved residency or advanced education programs in the practice of general, pediatric, or public health dentistry. Therefore, for the purposes of this announcement, the use of “general, pediatric, and public health dentistry”, “primary care dentistry” and “dental faculty” shall include dental hygiene unless otherwise noted.

• Funds may be used to plan, develop, and operate, or participate in, an approved professional training program in the field of general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, or public health dentistry for dental or dental hygiene students, dental hygienists, or other approved primary care dental trainees, that emphasizes training for general, pediatric, or public health dentistry.
• Funds may be used to provide financial assistance to dental or dental hygiene students, or practicing dental hygienists who are in need thereof, and who are participants in any such training  program, and who plan to work in the practice of general, pediatric or public heath dentistry or dental hygiene. 
• Funds may be used in support of an accredited master’s in public health program for dental and dental hygiene students in need of such support.  Note that support is limited to students only.
• Funds may be used to meet the costs of projects to establish, maintain, or improve pre-doctoral training in primary care dentistry (general, pediatric, and public health dentistry and dental hygiene) programs.

Estimated Award Levels: $55,000 to $650,000
Deadline: May 28, 2010