One-year grants of up to $25,000 are available for research at universities at which Invisalign treatment or the iTero intraoral scanner is available. 

Align Technology Inc announced the opening of its 2021 Research Award Program to support clinical and scientific dental research in universities across the globe. This year, up to $300,000 will be awarded to university faculty for scientific and technological research initiatives to advance patient care in the fields of orthodontics and dentistry.

Through its Research Award Program, Align Technology has reportedly funded approximately $2 million in research awards since its inception in 2010, providing insights that include intra-oral scanning and patient experience, quality of life changes, as well as insights into the biochemical markers of bone metabolism during early orthodontic tooth movement with clear aligners.

“As a company, our brand promise is to change lives by transforming smiles, and we are pleased to offer our support to clinical and scientific research in orthodontics and dentistry that can advance that goal,” said Raj Pudipeddi, Align senior vice president, chief innovation, product and marketing officer. “We are proud of advancements from earlier research and look forward to the next wave of research that could improve orthodontic and dental treatments for the benefit of patients globally.”

Four 1- year awards of up to US$25,000 for dental research at universities are available in each of these regions: Americas (United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America), EMEA, and APAC. 

Eligible applicants for dental research awards include full- and part-time faculty involved in dental or scientific research at universities at which Invisalign treatment or the iTero scanner is available. 

According to the company, all applications are reviewed by an independent academic committee that forwards its recommendations to Align Technology for final selection. 

Program details, instructions, and application forms for prospective applicants can be found at https://learn.invisalign.com/research-awards-landing-page (for Americas, EMEA and APAC applicants). 

Research proposals and completed applications must be received by 5:00 pm PT on March 5, 2021. Award recipients will be notified by June 7, 2021.