Take Action
AADOCR encourages its members to engage with their elected officials and educate them about issues affecting dental, oral, and craniofacial research and the delivery of oral health care. Policymakers need to be informed of the important biomedical advances that are being made due to federal research investments and how those advances improve the lives of their constituents. Help protect the scientific enterprise and improve the nation's oral health by making your voice heard.
Advocacy Day
Each spring, AADOCR partners with the Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (FNIDCR) to bring researchers; dental school educators and students; and other patient advocates to the nation’s capital to meet directly with members of Congress. The event provides the oral health research community an opportunity to meet with congressional appropriators and other lawmakers about the importance of federal funding for dental research and oral health programs. Registration for Advocacy Day 2026 opens in summer 2025.
Advocacy Resources
View AADOCR advocacy resources, including fact sheets, our federal funding requests, and guides for interacting with policymakers. These materials will help you take action and communicate to your elected officials the importance of dental, oral, and craniofacial research, and other oral health issues.
Friends of NIDCR
The Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (FNIDCR) is a broad-based coalition of academic and research institutions, professional associations and foundations that champion the Institute and work together to 1) support oral health research and 2) transfer oral health research from bench to bedside.
Advocacy Updates
Stay up-to-date with the latest news in government affairs and science policy news by reading updates in the News section of the AADOCR website.
See AADOCR’s communications to Congress and government agencies championing AADOCR members and the field.
The AADOCR actively partners with coalitions and peer organizations over the course of the year to advocate for research funding and programs and to amplify the role of dental, oral, and craniofacial research as part of the broader public health and health research community.
Opportunities
This public policy fellowship provides a unique learning experience both in Washington, DC and through grassroots efforts at the Fellow’s local university or institution.
This year the AADOCR National Student Research Group (NSRG) along with the Government Affairs Committee (GAC) would like to recognize a student for outstanding contributions in advocacy for oral health research by awarding The Student Advocate of the Year Award.
Interested in taking action or learning more about advocacy efforts?
