Grants to States to Support Oral Health Workforce Activities

For programmatic or technical assistance questions:
Thomas Vallin, MPH
301.443.1307
tvallin@hrsa.gov

For business, administrative, or fiscal questions:
Carolyn J. Cobb
301.443.0829
ccobb2@hrsa.gov

The Grants to States to Support Oral Health Workforce Activities initiative offers funding to states to develop and implement programs that address the dental workforce needs of designated Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA).

Applicants should describe innovative approaches to increase access to and sustain high quality oral health services in Dental HPSAs at the state level. Maintenance, expansion, or minor changes to existing programs will not be considered for funding under this program.

Examples of allowable activities include:

• Loan forgiveness and repayment programs
• Dental recruitment and retention efforts
• Grants, low-interest, or no-interest loans to help dentists who participate in the Medicaid program to establish or expand practices in designated dental health professional shortage areas
• Establishment or expansion of dental residency programs in coordination with accredited dental training institutions in states without dental schools
• Programs developed in consultation with state and local dental societies to expand or establish oral health services and facilities in designated health professional shortage areas, including services and facilities for children with special needs
• Placement and support of dental students, dental residents, and advanced dentistry trainees
• Continuing dental education, including distance-based education
• Teledentistry
• Community-based prevention services
• Coordination with local educational agencies to foster programs that promote children going into oral health or science professions
• Establishment of faculty recruitment programs at accredited dental training institutions whose mission includes community outreach and service and that have a demonstrated record of serving underserved states
• Development of a state dental officer position or the augmentation of a state dental office to coordinate oral health and access issues in the state
• Dental workforce programs designed to address opioid use disorder by advancing better practices for pain management and/or improving access to treatment and recovery services
• Activities designed to assess and/or address the impact of COVID-19 on the oral health workforce in underserved areas
• Activities to develop or improve dental therapy programs

Eligible applicants include governor-appointed and state government entities such as state-run universities or dental schools. Only one application per state is accepted.

Award Ceiling: $400,000
Number of Awards: 32
Project period: 4 years
Total Funding Available: $12,800,000

A 40% non-federal cash or in-kind match is required.

Links to the full announcement, application instructions, and the online application process are available through grants.gov.