Project Summary The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) Bloc Travel Grant for Dental Students and NIDCR-Supported Trainees aims to target a diverse pipeline of the dental, oral and craniofacial research workforce by providing travel and meeting support to the most promising U.S. dental students and NIDCR-funded trainees and fellows to attend and present their own research at the AADR Annual Meeting – the leading national multi-disciplinary scientific meeting for the oral, dental and craniofacial research field. The AADR is one of 28 Divisions of the IADR, which was founded in 1920 and comprises more than 10,000 members worldwide. Enormous and unacceptable oral health disparities exist across vulnerable and underserved populations and we must have a well-trained, diverse oral health research workforce to accept these challenges to improve dental, oral and craniofacial health. The objectives of this grant proposal are: to provide financial travel support to assist new researchers to present their research on a public scientific platform; to expose U.S. dental students and NIDCR supported trainees and fellows to research conducted at institutions across the United States and globally, and to enhance the opportunities for networking, collaboration and cross-institution mentorship; to provide support to encourage a group of new investigators at a very early stage of their career to further pursue dental, oral and craniofacial research as a long-term career; to provide a means by which U.S. dental students and NIDCR supported trainees and fellows may obtain information on the most current dental investigations and methodologies being conducted, and; to proactively outreach and encourage applications from women, under-represented minorities and persons with disabilities. The AADR is requesting support for this AADR Bloc Travel Grant program for three years for travel assistance for students to attend the AADR Annual Meetings scheduled in the following locales: Boston, Massachusetts (2021); Atlanta, Georgia (2022) and Portland, Oregon (2023). As with each AADR Annual Meeting, meeting facilities are secured at each location to allow for simultaneous oral sessions, poster sessions, symposia, hands-on workshops, lunch and learn sessions, keynote lectures and distinguished lecture speakers. The AADR Bloc Travel Grants will be administered through the IADR/AADR Global Headquarters.