IFDH Research Grant Program

The purpose of this program is to promote experience in the research process and dissemination of findings contributing to the dental hygiene body of knowledge.

This grant program will provide small grants for students enrolled in dental hygiene graduate programs conducting thesis research. Students will submit a mini-proposal for consideration. Small grants will be provided (maximum up to $2000) and projects may not be fully funded. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all funds are granted.

Process:

Graduate students are to prepare and submit a proposal to include the following content:

Brief introduction to study topic
Purpose of study
Research questions/hypotheses
Significance of study
Methods
Budget
References

The proposal including introduction to methods section should be no more than 5 pages.

DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME ON THE PROPOSAL, FOR ANONYMITY IN JUDGING.

Criteria for Evaluation:

Is the purpose clearly stated?
Is the purpose relevant?
Will the study add to the dental hygiene body of knowledge?
Is the research design appropriate to answer the research questions/test the hypotheses?
Is the budget feasible?

Send Your Application & Proposal via:

MAIL: International Federation of Dental Hygienists
100 South Washington Street, Rockville MD 20850, USA

Email: membership@ifdh.org
Subject: IFDH Research Grant Application

Deadline for Submission:September 15^th, 2025

2023 Awardees:

Heuiwon Han

Auckland University of Technology

Roles of oral health practitioners in child abuse and neglect responses

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child asserts that all children have the right to protection from abuse and exploitation. Unfortunately, child abuse and neglect are significant global health and social issues. In New Zealand, oral health practitioners are uniquely positioned to respond to child protection concerns, as the government provides free oral health care to all children and adolescents. A mixed-method sequential exploratory design is adopted to explore the understanding, perspectives, and attitudes of New Zealand oral health practitioners in their roles in child protection responses and identify approaches to enhance the responsiveness to support children and families who may be at risk.

Oh Run Kim

University of British Columbia

Immunohistochemical Expression of the LPS/TLR-4/NF-kB/PD-L1 Axis in Oral Premalignant and Malignant Lesion

Recent evidence suggests that chronic inflammation, induced by the bacterial toxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS), may play a role in the development of oral cancer via the TLR-4/NF-kB/PD-L1 pathway. This study aims to investigate the expression patterns of LPS, TLR-4, NF-kB, and PD-L1 in oral precancerous and cancerous tissues using multiplex immunohistochemistry. The findings will shed light on their roles as potential biomarkers for an upcoming longitudinal study designed to predict the malignant transformation of oral precancerous lesions, which is crucial for early diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer.