Dental Academic Research Training Program (DART)

ABSTRACT: The Dental Academic Research Training (DART) Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry (UAB SOD) is a comprehensive research-training program focused on the development of an innovative, integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to produce a cadre of well-trained, skilled, collaborative scientists and clinician scientists that are capable to address the critical dental, oral and craniofacial research issues of our nation. This renewal is a continuation of our NIDCR T-90 (DE022736) /R90 (DE023056) DART Training Program that was built on our prior T-32 DART Program (DE017607-05). Furthermore, our training experience is the culmination of prior successful NIDCR T32 Research Training programs: Post-doctoral Training in Oral Health (T32-DE14300); Post-Doctoral Training in Caries Research (T32-DE007026); and a Short-Term Research Training for Health Professional Students (T35-DK07545; funded for over forty years). This robust experience has led to a successful innovative training program designed to enhance the knowledge of dentists, graduate students, dual degree (DMD/PhD) students, and postdoctoral fellows in basic, clinical, and translational research providing a pathway to productive, independent dental academic careers with unique acquired skill sets in grantsmanship and leadership. The DART Program offers four training tracks: Track I- DMD/Ph.D; Track II- Pre-doctoral Ph.D.; Track III- Post-doctoral training for foreign trained dentists; and Track IV- Post-doctoral training. Integrative DART core experiences include: 1) Presentation skills; 2) Research knowledge; 3) Leadership and Networking development; 4) Responsible Conduct of Research training; 5) Grant Writing skills; and 6) Individualized Development Plans. The primary objective of the DART is to provide a broadened interdisciplinary research experience for exceptionally motivated trainees in a research-intensive collaborative academic university environment. Research training is provided in one of the SOD's five programmatic research themes: 1) Microbiology/Immunology; 2) Craniofacial Genetics/Developmental Biology; 3) Biomaterial Science/ Biomimetics; 4) Orofacial Cancers; and 5) Implementation Science/Clinical Outcomes Research. The UAB SOD is uniquely positioned to provide training for the next generation of academicians since we are ranked among the top ten in NIDCR research funding and host the NIDCR National Dental Practice Based Research Network (U19-DE022736). The SOD is an integral component of a major southeast regional health science center with a “Highest Research Activity” Carnegie Classification.