Mansfield-based University of Connecticut's dental school, along with 11 other schools, are using a $1.3 million grant to develop a national mentoring network and support a diverse dental, oral and craniofacial workforce, UConn Today reports.
The grant was awarded by the American Association for Dental Research from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
"This is not only exciting but also timely," said Effie Ioannidou, DDS, a periodontology professor at UConn. "UConn School of Dental Medicine will play a leading role in promoting diversity in the oral and craniofacial research workforce through concrete programmatic activities."
Over the next five years, the network will directly help 10 new mentees from underrepresented groups each year. The program will focus on developing professional career skills and transitioning career stages.