IOH Research Grant Application General Timeline

Applications Open: Late Fall

Recipient Selection: Late Spring

The application portal for all IOH research grants will open on November, 1 at 12pm (CT) and closes on February 28, 2025 at 12pm (CT).
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Applicants must meet the following requirements to be considered for all IOH Research Grants.  Please refer to specific scholarships for further requirements:

  • Must be a member of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA).
  • Must be a licensed dental hygienist.

IOH General Research Grant 

All research requests will be considered, and grants will be awarded based on available funds. The ADHA Institute for Oral Health does not accept unsolicited proposals.

Research Grant Proposals should:

  • Develop or expand upon the dental hygiene body of knowledge
  • Promote the public’s oral health by improving dental hygiene education and practice
  • Support the delivery of quality oral healthcare

Additional Eligibility Requirements:

  • Projects which are in progress may be considered for funding as long as they meet the criteria for approval
  • Current members of the ADHA Institute Board of Directors, ADHA Board of Directors and Research Grant Review Committee may not apply as principal investigators, but may do so in another capacity (i.e. secondary investigator, mentor, etc.)
  • Priority will be given to proposals addressing the ADHA National Research Agenda

IOH Research Grant Recipients: You must complete a progress report and final report in order to obtain grant funds. The IOH team will contact you directly with instructions how to complete these reports.

Kimberly K. Benkert Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Grant

One recipient will be selected per year and a minimum of $2,500 will be awarded.

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) covers a broad range of symptoms, orofacial myofunctional issues, and is utilized in treatment of apnea and functional issues associated with temporomandibular functional and muscular dysfunction.  OMT is utilized to also treat orofacial behaviors such as muscle bracing, clenching, bruxism, Range of Motion dysfunction of the mandibles, head & neck.  Additional oral behaviors are treated such as digit sucking, chronic nail biting, and other noxious oral behaviors.  The pre- to post- surgical and non-surgical interventions addressing tight lingual frenums, commonly known as tongue ties, lip, and or cheek (buccal) ties are therapeutically addressed.

The areas of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy provided by an applicant may include an area of research and/or practice. These areas may include the Role of the RDH as a practitioner of OMT; an RDH OMT in relation to other types of licensed practitioners; Certification and/or Collaborative Relationships; Activities of Daily Living (ADL); and/or Quality of Life (QOL). The educational background of the applicant needs to be well-rounded in OMT and address some area of Functionality in the most commonly seen and/or treated conditions which may include:

  • Assessment, Examination, OMT diagnosis, Care plan, Implementation, Evaluation
  • Airway / Breathing
  • Frenums and/or Frenectomies
  • Resting postures of the tongue, lips, mandible, maintaining a dental freeway space, head/neck and impact of body posture
  • Swallowing (all stages from infant to adult)
  • Chewing
  • Feeding /eating (all stages from infant to adult)
  • Mechanics of functional speech
  • Sleep & Apnea
  • Oral Behaviors
  • TMD – Pain and/or functional issues
  • Myofascial Release and/or Craniosacral Therapy

Grant recipients are encouraged to submit a final thesis or dissertation manuscript to be considered for publication in the Journal of Dental Hygiene not to exceed 2 years from the receipt of the grant.

Research Grant Proposals should:

  • Develop or expand upon the OMT body of knowledge
  • Promote the public’s oral health by improving dental hygiene education and practice
  • Support the delivery of quality oral healthcare

Additional Eligibility Requirements:

  • The principal investigator (PI) must be a licensed RDH with at least 2 years of working experience within the specialized OMT field and exhibit dedication to continued work within the field
  • Projects which are in progress may be considered for funding as long as they meet the criteria for approval
  • Current members of the ADHA Institute Board of Directors, ADHA Board of Trustees and Research Grant Review Committee may not apply as principal investigators, but may do so in another capacity (i.e. secondary investigator, mentor, etc.)

Research Grant Application Examples & Templates

Research Grant Guidelines and Sample Application

NIH Biosketch Form D Information