In this competing renewal of the Postdoctoral Training Program at the Forsyth, we are excited to propose the expansion of our program to include the DMD/PhD program at our long-time affiliate, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM). The underlying rationale is to build on the strengths of our current separate training programs that focus on the development of research-focus dentist scientists and oral health researchers and to broaden the scope to include both predoctoral and postdoctoral applicants for academic careers in the NIH funding environment. This application seeks to integrate valuable and synergistic features to enhance the pipeline of dentist scientists and oral health researchers. We will build on the strength of our NIH-sponsored T90/R90 postdoctoral training program to develop a diverse group of committed, highly trained and competitive investigators who seek to obtain collaborative, multidisciplinary research training (basic, translational, or clinical) applicable to oral and craniofacial diseases, conditions and disorders that will take advantage of the most current scientific and collaborative strategies. Collaborative and multidisciplinary research is emphasized, in part, by recruiting trainees into collaborative investigations within or between broadly focused researchers at Forsyth and HSDM. The program is guided by an Internal Advisory Committee (IAC), led by Dr. Thomas Van Dyke (Program Director), Dr. Yingzi Yang (Co-Director) and Dr. Xuesong He (Assistant Director). Expert biannual program review is provided by an External Advisory Committee of Drs. Jane Weintraub (University of North Carolina), Jeffrey Ebersole (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) and Charles Serhan (Harvard Medical School). The program provides support for six trainees per year; 4 postdoctoral and 2 DMD/PhD. Trainees will take required courses/workshops including Responsible Conduct of Research, Methods for Enhancing Reproducibility, Elements of Grant Writing, Grant Review and Support, Maximizing the Mentor-Mentee Relationship, and Effectively Communicating Research. Additional elective and non-elective opportunities will be tailored to the individual's needs and programs. Tutorials and seminars in grantsmanship, grant writing skills, and successful teaching and presentation are each part of trainees’ programs. There are also opportunities for mentoring high school student summer research which not only provides trainees with valuable mentoring experience, but also enriches the pipeline for those selecting research-intensive health-related careers in the future. Trainees’ progress is reviewed weekly by the mentor and semiannually by program staff for reappointment and guidance. An IAC member is assigned to each trainee for guidance and assistance in grant preparation/review. All postdoctoral trainees are required to prepare and submit a K or R grant application and DMD/PhD’s are encouraged to submit F31 applications. Provision is made for informal and for...