Getting Involved

The Dental Student Research Program provides exceptional dental students with experience in research. Three sources of funding are available to support qualified dental students:  The Student Research Traineeships from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the Dows Student Research Fellowship & the Iowa Dental Research Grants, all made available through the Dows Institute in the College of Dentistry. These awards are designed to give students a structured research experience extending over a three moth period between May and September.

Dental students are eligible for the Dows Research Fellowship & Iowa Dental Research Grants.  Incoming dental students and current dental students are eligible for the NIDCR Student Research Traineeship. For either award, students must be sponsored by a faculty mentor, who will provide guidance during the three month period.

In addition to learning about a specific research area, all awardees gain experience in working with a laboratory team and with a dentist scientist, the faculty mentor who, through training and experience, has achieved recognition as a contributing member of the scientific community.

The application process is highly competitive, requiring submission of a research proposal and a thorough review by the Student Research Committee.  The application deadline will be announced in January to enrolled dental students.  

Students involved in research are invited to register for 1-2 s.h. of academic credit in the Dental Student Research Honors Program (112:190). Registration is optional for Dows Awardees, NIDCR Awardees, and other awardees or situation.  Awardees are encouraged to attend segments of the Research Methodology course (92:216) offered each summer in the Dows Institute and research seminars relevant to their projects.