The Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC received the most funds of any private dental school from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) for the second year in a row in 2013.
Overall, the Ostrow School of Dentistry moved up one spot from 2012 to rank 7th among all public and private NIDCR funding recipients. The school received more than $5.2 million in grant funds from the agency in 2013.
Yang Chai, PhD, DDS, associate dean of research at the Ostrow School and director of the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, said an important part of the school’s research funding success has been R01 grants, which can help faculty establish a solid research track record and lead to more funding down the road.
“If you look at our history, what has paid off is trying to focus on helping faculty get R01 grants,” Chai said. “They are the ‘building blocks’ of our success and can demonstrate how innovative and productive a faculty member is. One grant at a time, our overall program becomes more and more successful.”
— Beth Newcomb