Eastman Institute for Oral Health Lands $5.1M to Train Dental Faculty Nationwide

The Eastman Institute for Oral Health at the University of Rochester Medical Center is about to take on a national assignment. A $5.1 million federal grant, announced this fall, directs the Rochester institution to train the people who train dentists — not just locally, but at institutions across the country.

The Health Resources and Services Administration awarded EIOH the grant to launch Project ELEVATE, a two-year program for early-career dental and dental hygiene faculty from institutions across the United States. Applications open in early November 2026.

Eastman Institute for Oral Health: A Rochester Grant With National Reach

Eastman Institute for Oral Health: A Rochester Grant With National Reach

Project ELEVATE will train 40 faculty members in two cohorts of 20, combining virtual instruction with in-person sessions at EIOH in Rochester. Everyone who completes the program earns an Advanced Certificate in Health Professions Education — a credential designed to mark the difference between a dentist who teaches and a trained educator.

EIOH has done this before. A predecessor program trained 13 fellows, and every one of them earned advanced credentials and went on to senior faculty or administrative positions. That track record is part of why Rochester — not a larger coastal institution — is the home base for a federal initiative at this scale.

"By investing in the educators who train future dentists, we are extending our impact far beyond Rochester," said Eli Eliav, DMD, PhD, MBA, EIOH director. "We are helping strengthen dental education across the country."

Why Dental Faculty Training Is a National Problem

Why Dental Faculty Training Is a National Problem

The numbers are not subtle. According to data presented at Stony Brook University's School of Dental Medicine, more than 40% of full-time dental faculty at U.S. schools are over 60. Less than 2% of dental school graduates go on to become full-time academics. A pipeline that contracts through retirement faster than it grows cannot sustain the system it serves.

The American Dental Association documented in October 2025 that dental schools across the country are already struggling to recruit and retain faculty — and that 13% of dental faculty received their degrees outside the United States, a figure that shows how much U.S. dental education already leans on internationally trained educators to fill domestic gaps.

Fewer educators means fewer dentists graduating. That shortage hits hardest in underserved communities, where access to dental care is already the most constrained.

What Project ELEVATE Offers — and How to Apply

What Project ELEVATE Offers — and How to Apply

The two-year curriculum covers teaching methods, academic leadership, research skills, and strategies for improving oral health in underserved communities. Participants combine virtual coursework with in-person sessions at EIOH — a structure built for working faculty who can't leave their home institutions for a full residency.

One alum from EIOH's predecessor program named what the experience changed:

"I started the program as a dentist who teaches, and left an educator. The program had a significant impact on my knowledge, skills and confidence."

— Christina A. Van Dam, DDS, director of Advanced Education in General Dentistry, University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry

Applications are open to early-career dental and dental hygiene faculty at accredited institutions across the United States. The first cohort's application window opens in early November 2026 through the Eastman Institute for Oral Health at the University of Rochester Medical Center.