Well Told Grants

Federal grant programs / Department of Health and Human Services

Oral Diseases and Disorders Research (93.121)

Also known as Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research.

Oral Diseases and Disorders Research (Assistance Listing 93.121) is run by the National Institutes of Health, part of the Department of Health and Human Services. It awarded $1.9 billion in 2,263 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $818,037 per award on average. 88 funding opportunities are open or forecast now.

The typical award was $425,875. Half of the 2,263 awards fell between $155,250 and $1.2 million, and they ranged from $0 to $25.6 million.

Key findings

What the program funds

NIDCR extramural research provides research funds to support basic, translational, and clinical research in dental, oral, and craniofacial health and disease through grants, cooperative agreements, including small business research through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs and contracts that support scientists working in institutions throughout the United States and internationally. Extramural programs plan, develop, and manage scientific priorities through portfolio analyses and consultation with stakeholders, encouraging the most promising discoveries and emerging technologies for rapid translation to clinical applications. The Integrative Biology and Infectious Diseases programs support basic and translational research programs on oral microbiology; salivary biology and immunology; oral and salivary gland cancers; neuroscience of orofacial pain and temporomandibular disorders; mineralized tissue physiology; dental biomaterials; and tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The branch aims to accelerate progress in basic and translational research in these areas, and further stimulate the discovery pipeline based on clinical needs. The Translational Genomics Research programs support basic and translational research in genetics, genomics, developmental biology, and data science toward the goal of improving dental, oral, and craniofacial health. The focus is on deciphering the genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms underlying dental, oral, and craniofacial development and anomalies. The Behavioral and Social Sciences Research programs support basic and applied research to promote oral health, to prevent oral diseases and related disabilities, and to improve management of craniofacial conditions, disorders, and injury. The program prioritizes mechanistic research that contributes to a cumulative science of behavior change, to maximize the rigor, relevance, and dissemination of efficacious behavior change interventions. The Clinical Research programs supports patient-oriented, population, and community based research aimed at improving the dental, oral, and craniofacial health of the nation. The Center focuses on a variety of diseases and conditions through clinical trials, epidemiologic studies, practice-based research, the HIV/AIDS and oral health program, and studies of oral health disparities and inequities in all areas of NIDCR programmatic interest. The program encourages investigations that have the potential to translate findings into evidence-based clinical applications. The Research Training and Career Development extramural programs span the career stages of scientists, supporting research training and career development for PhD and dual degree DDS/DMD-PhD students, postdoctoral scholars and early career, midcareer, and established investigators. The programs manage support for fellowships, research training grants, career development and career transition awards, NIH loan repayment awards, and diversity supplements to support research experiences for high school students through investigators. Extramural programs are accountable for the efficient and effective use of taxpayer funds to support research on dental, oral, and craniofacial diseases and disorders and improving the oral health of all Americans. Extramural programs support research and research training to establish the foundation for scientific discoveries that include transparent and rigorous planning, priority setting, continuous and consistent reviews of progress, and focus on the development of a diverse, highly skilled, and nimble workforce that can rapidly respond to scientific breakthroughs and public health challenges. Extramural programs employ evaluation domains, from needs assessment and strategic planning to implementation and process evaluation, performance measurement, and outcomes and impact analysis to evaluate strategic objectives.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

63 more opportunities are listed with all open grants from Department of Health and Human Services.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Research Project Grants: Scientists at universities, colleges, medical and dental schools, hospitals, laboratories, and other public or private nonprofit and for-profit institutions. NRSA, career development awards and career transition awards: (1) Nonprofit domestic organizations may apply for institutional awards. (2) Individual candidates or applicants must arrange sponsorship by a public or nonprofit private institution having staff and facilities appropriate to the proposed research training program. (3) All NRSA, career development awardees, and NIDCR postdoctoral to faculty position awards must be citizens, or non-citizen nationals of the United States or have been admitted to the United States for permanent residence. (4) Extramural career transition postdoctoral to tenure track faculty or equivalent position and the R90 component of T90/R90 grants support non-citizen dentists. (4) To be eligible, postdoctoral NRSA, intramural to extramural career transition awardees, and career development awardees must have a professional or scientific degree (M.D., Ph.D., D.D.S., D.V.M., Sc.D., D.Eng., or equivalent domestic or foreign degree). Institutional applicants must be able to provide the staff and facilities suitable for the proposed research education or research training.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

What the money can and cannot pay for

Research Project Grants and Cooperative Agreements: provide funds for salaries, equipment, supplies, travel, and other expenses associated with scientific investigation in the dental, oral and craniofacial health sciences. They are awarded to universities, colleges, medical and dental schools, hospitals, and other nonprofit and for-profit institutions. Awards include investigator-initiated project grants, exploratory and developmental grants, small grants, center grants, conference grants, and career development awards. Individual and institutional dual degree (DDS or DMD and PhD) awards provide support for research training and career development in basic, clinical and translational science. National Research Service Awards (NRSAs) provide support for research training in specified biomedical areas, and can be made to institutions to enable them to accept individuals for research training. Postdoctoral scientists who receive NRSAs may be obligated upon termination of the award to comply with service and payback provisions. SBIR Phase I grants (duration of approximately 6 months) provide support to establish the technical merit and feasibility of a proposed research effort that may lead to a commercial product or process. Phase II grants support the continuation of the research initiated in Phase I to further develop the commercial products or process initiated in Phase I. Only Phase I awardees are eligible to receive Phase II support.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

FY2023: research project grants: range $10,355-$3,198,621, average $493,453; NRSA: range $12,200-$645,669, average $102,286; SBIR/STTR: range $44,553-$1,265,448, average $734,953; Career development: range $19,566-$283,536, average $151,550. FY2024: research project grants: range $14,491-$3,134,285, average $499,286; NRSA: range $2,500-$689,065, average $117,487; SBIR/STTR: range $44,553-$1,493,635, average $721,489; Career development: range $12,905-$282,170, average $156,332.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Funding history and past recipients

From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Oral Diseases and Disorders Research (93.121) awarded$1.9 billion across 2,263 grant awards, an average of $818,037 per award.

Largest recipients, fiscal 2021 to 2025
RecipientStateAwardsAmount
Regents of the University of MichiganMichigan76$89.2 million
The Regents of the University of California, San FranciscoCalifornia85$80.8 million
University of Southern CaliforniaCalifornia41$78.6 million
University of Pittsburgh - of the Commonwealth System of Higher EducationPennsylvania57$55.6 million
The Trustees of the University of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania66$51.5 million
University of California, Los AngelesCalifornia62$50.1 million
Ada Forsyth Institute, Inc.Massachusetts41$49.9 million
University of FloridaFlorida63$47.1 million
University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonTexas32$41.7 million
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillNorth Carolina41$36.9 million
University of Alabama at BirminghamAlabama30$34.6 million
Oregon Health & Science UniversityOregon31$33.0 million
The Research Foundation for the State University of New YorkNew York48$29.8 million
The University of IowaIowa44$28.0 million
University of Maryland, BaltimoreMaryland26$26.8 million
The Leland Stanford Junior UniversityCalifornia34$26.6 million
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVirginia34$26.6 million
The Regents of the University of ColoradoColorado45$25.3 million
University of IllinoisIllinois30$24.9 million
University of WashingtonWashington31$23.6 million

Top states: California ($331 million), Massachusetts ($159 million), Pennsylvania ($146 million), Texas ($137 million), New York ($136 million), Michigan ($98.9 million), North Carolina ($72.3 million), Florida ($69.9 million), Ohio ($66.4 million), Maryland ($53.0 million).

Who usually wins

Colleges and universities received 76% of the money, nonprofits 14% and small businesses 3.8%.

Recipient typeAwardsAmountShare
Colleges and universities1,719$1.4 billion76%
Nonprofits319$255 million14%
Other144$112 million6.0%
Small businesses76$70.8 million3.8%
State and local governments3$1.1 millionless than 0.1%
Individuals1$206,898less than 0.1%
Tribal governments and organizations1$96,825less than 0.1%

By state

45 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.

Grants by recipient's state, fiscal 2021 to 2025
StateAwardsAmount
California341$331 million
Massachusetts175$159 million
Pennsylvania172$146 million
Texas148$137 million
New York191$136 million
Michigan91$98.9 million
North Carolina76$72.3 million
Florida90$69.9 million
Ohio83$66.4 million
Maryland67$53.0 million
Washington53$47.0 million
Oregon41$39.8 million
Illinois55$39.1 million
Georgia51$38.0 million
Alabama31$35.0 million
Kentucky35$33.6 million
Missouri49$33.6 million
Colorado55$31.8 million
Connecticut37$31.8 million
Virginia44$29.4 million
Iowa45$28.5 million
Minnesota48$27.1 million
South Carolina27$20.0 million
New Jersey19$18.7 million
Arizona18$15.4 million
Louisiana15$13.7 million
Indiana17$13.4 million
Wisconsin20$10.1 million
District of Columbia17$8.0 million
Utah9$7.8 million
Delaware8$7.5 million
Arkansas11$7.4 million
Kansas10$7.0 million
Tennessee21$6.4 million
Oklahoma12$4.5 million
New Hampshire8$3.6 million
Maine3$3.6 million
Mississippi6$3.4 million
Nebraska8$2.9 million
Vermont4$2.6 million
New Mexico3$2.3 million
Puerto Rico4$2.1 million
North Dakota1$1.4 million
Alaska3$1.4 million
Rhode Island20$1.3 million
West Virginia3$921,118
Montana1$293,642
Idaho1$30,000

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.