About the AAOF Awards Program

The AAOF has defined seven Award Program priority areas:

• Biomedical Research Awards
• Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Awards
• Center Awards
• Postdoctoral Fellowship Award
• Educational Innovation Awards
• Program Awards
• Research Aid Awards

The funds necessary for these awards are the result of the Foundation's endowment fundraising campaign, Continued Commitment to the Specialty®.
View the committee's policies regarding Confidentiality of Information and Conflicts of Interest HERE.

2024 Awards Program

The deadline for the 2024 Award Proposals is October 13, 2023 by 5:00 pm CST.
Application Materials for the annual AAOF Awards, as well as the Accelerated Funding of Proposals (AFP) and COVID-19 specific Awards are now available on the new online platform (click button below to apply).

The Call for Proposals on the two following topics can be submitted through the Accelerated Funding Program immediately rather than through the normal funding process. This on-going funding was made available to address urgent needs for research funding. The applications can be submitted any time under the Center Award, Biomedical Research Award, Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award, and Research Aid Award categories. Please note on your application, in the title of your proposal if you are applying through the Accelerated Funding Program.

Impending Issues in Orthodontics
Business of Orthodontic Practice

View the 2023 AAOF Awards Application Workshop PowerPoint presentation HERE or

watch the live Virtual Workshop/Zoom Meeting, presented live on 6/16/23 HERE.

All applications must be submitted through our online process.

2023 Awards Program

Summary of 2023 Awards Program Recommendations

• Nine (9) Biomedical Research Awards
• Seven (7) Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Awards
• Thirteen (13) Research Aid Awards

Biomedical Research Award (BRA)

• Bingshuang Zou, University of British Columbia – B.F. Dewel Memorial Biomedical Research Award (Synopsis)
• Alice Goodwin, University of Pittsburg– Graber Family Biomedical Research and Teaching Award (Synopsis)
• Mohammed Elnagar, University of Illinois Chicago – Burstone-Indiana Biomechanics Award (Synopsis)
• Sumit Yadav, Nebraska Medical Center – Fred F. Schudy Memorial Research Award (Synopsis)
• Carlos Flores-Mir, University of Alberta - Robert L. Boyd Biomedical Research Award (Synopsis)
• Phimon Atsawasuwan, University of Illinois, Chicago – Robert James Bray Biomedical Research Award (Synopsis)
• Laura Iwasaki, Oregon Health, and Science University – The Fred and Dianne Garrett Biomedical Research Award (Synopsis)
• Rishma Shah, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Synopsis) 
• Juan Martin Palomo, Case Western Reserve University (Synopsis)

Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Awards (OFDFA)

• Po-Jung Chen, University of Nebraska Medical Center – Willie and Earl Shepard Fellowship Award (Synopsis)
• Ginny Ching Yun Hsu, Oregon Health & Science University – Graber Family Teaching and Research Award (Synopsis)
• Maysaa Oubaidin, University of Illinois Chicago – T. M. Graber Teaching Fellowship Award (Synopsis)
• Chenshuang Li, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine – James L. Vaden Teaching Fellowship Award (Synopsis)
• Jonas Bianchi, University of the Pacific – Orhan C. Tuncay Teaching Fellowship Award (Synopsis)
• Divakar Karanth, University of Florida – James A. McNamara Orthodontic Faculty Fellowship Award (Synopsis)
• Howard Freedman, Oregon Health & Science University – Anthony A. Gianelly Teaching Fellowship Award (Synopsis)

Research Aid Award (RAA)

• Jie Liu, The Ohio State University – Charles J. Burstone Research Aid Award (Synopsis)
• Xianrui Yang, University of Michigan School of Dentistry – Charles J. Burstone Research Aid Award (Synopsis)
• Christine Bode, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Charles J. Burstone Research Aid Award (Synopsis)
• Mahdis Maleki, University of Toronto – Charles J. Burstone Research Aid Award (Synopsis)
• John Baker, University at Buffalo (Synopsis)
• Ronnel Azizollahi, University of California, San Francisco (Synopsis) 
• Mary Contreras, University of Pennsylvania (Synopsis)
• Wendy Vu, University of Toronto (Synopsis)
• Suzanne Abreu, University of Illinois at Chicago (Synopsis)
• Ozge Colak, State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo (Synopsis)
• Joy Gerasco, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Synopsis)
• Beatrice Williams, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Synopsis)
• Heather Ercolano, The Research Foundation of the State University of New York – Stony Brook (Synopsis)

Craniofacial Growth Legacy Collection Project - AAOF Continued Support

The Dewel Award is given to the most meritorious Biomedical Research Award.

The AAOF Board of Directors Award is given at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

The Shepard Award designation is given annually to the most meritorious Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award.

The Burstone-Indiana Award is given to the successful applicant of the award each year and designated as a Burstone Fellow in Biomechanics.