National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

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Mission Statement

The NIDCR Mission is to advance fundamental knowledge about dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) health and disease and translate these findings into prevention, early detection, and treatment strategies that improve overall health for all individuals and communities across the lifespan.

Interest Areas

General Topics

The NIDCR Extramural Research Programs plan, develop, and manage basic, translational, and clinical research in dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) health and disease through grants and cooperative agreements. NIDCR is committed to nurturing and strengthening a robust research workforce. The goal is to facilitate the most promising discoveries and emerging technologies for rapid translation to clinical applications for improving the health of all people across their lifespan. Scientific areas of interest:

• Orofacial pain conditions and neuroscience including temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders
• Odontogenic diseases
• Oral microbiome and polymicrobial diseases involving bacterial, fungal, and viral communities
• Oral mucosa and cancer biology of the oral cavity, pharynx, and salivary glands
• DOC developmental biology and congenital anomalies 
• DOC computational biology and data science approaches for prevention, diagnostics and therapies 
• Dental repair, restoration, and clinical technologies
• DOC regenerative medicine 
• Immunomodulatory oral science examining host–immune interactions including periodontal disease
• DOC precision medicine applying genetics, multi-omics, and data science to DOC biology
• DOC biomedical clinical trials addressing prevention, diagnosis, or treatment 
• DOC patient health and epidemiology including population-based studies
• Oral and systemic health integration and shared disease mechanisms
• Salivary gland biology and rheumatic disease
• DOC behavioral interventions and assessment methodologies
• Behavioral and biomedical processes influencing DOC and systemic health outcomes
• DOC health disparities across populations and settings
• Implementation science to improve HIV/AIDS–related oral health outcomes

Assistance Listing

Assistance listings are detailed public descriptions of federal programs used across government agencies that provide grants, loans, scholarships, insurance, and other types of assistance awards. They are maintained in the System for Award Management (SAM) and can be used to search for opportunities in Grants.gov.

View NIDCR Assistance Listing Numbers

  • 93.121 - Oral Diseases and Disorders Research

Highlighted Topics

Title Lead ICO Participating ICOs Posted Date Expiration Date

Funding Opportunities and Notices

Search for NIDCR’s funding opportunities and notices

Additional Information by Funding Category

Administrative Supplements
In addition to our Administrative Supplements overview, consider the following NIDCR-specific information.
Administrative Supplement Interest Areas:

Only in certain circumstances, NIDCR may consider providing administrative supplements to existing awards. Applicants are encouraged to contact an NIDCR Program Officer prior to submission. 

Administrative Supplement Due Dates:

Any administrative supplement submitted to NIDCR must be received no later than July 1 to be considered for funding in that fiscal year.

Administrative Supplement Contact:

For questions regarding administrative supplements, please contact your NIDCR Program Officer or email [email protected] and include "Administrative supplement" in the subject line.

Small Business
In addition to our Small Business overview, consider the following NIDCR-specific information.
Small Business Interest Areas:

NIDCR supports small business–led development of technologies and products that translate dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) research into clinically actionable solutions across the lifespan. Emphasis is on feasibility, validation, regulatory readiness, and commercialization. Projects should align with NIDCR’s goal to rapidly translate oral health innovations toward clinical impact. Early engagement with program staff is encouraged to ensure alignment with mission and priorities. Scientific areas of interest include: 

  • Targeted DOC diagnostics and therapeutic platforms for tooth-related diseases and periodontal/peri-implant conditions
  • Orofacial pain assessment and management technologies, including clinical decision support
  • Oral microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutic platforms for polymicrobial diseases
  • AI/ML-enabled predictive health and clinical decision support tools for DOC care
  • Advanced dental materials, restorative technologies, and digital manufacturing systems
  • Regenerative medicine technologies for craniofacial and dental tissue reconstruction
  • Immunomodulatory and precision therapeutic delivery systems for oral and craniofacial conditions
  • Digital behavioral and monitoring tools targeting DOC outcomes
  • Real-world evidence and patient outcome data platforms to support clinical adoption, evidence generation, and downstream coverage considerations
  • Implementation and dissemination technologies for priority-population oral health interventions
  • Integrated oral–systemic health assessment and intervention platforms
  • Regulatory and commercialization readiness tooling to support evidence generation, usability, and market adoption
Phase IIB & Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP):
  • NIDCR accepts Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) projects
Centers Contact:

Small Business Program

[email protected]

See Also

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

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