UF is one of seven institutions awarded a portion of a $67 million, seven-year grant from the institute. The grant will be used to create a national research network of dentists and dental hygienists.
Dr. Valeria Gordan, UF principal investigator for the project, said the UF College of Dentistry is privileged to be part of the network, because it is the first time the institute has released this sort of money to institutions for research. She said the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network is a great opportunity for those who have not been involved in research in the past.
“This network is for the dentists,” she said. “It has allowed dentists who are in rural areas to participate better in research.”
The network will bring together three regional networks that were created in 2005 by the institute. UF has been involved in the project since the beginning, originally applying in partnership with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Gordan said.