Evidence-Based Dentistry Awards

Supported by an unrestricted educational grant from , the Evidence-Based Dentistry (EBD) Faculty and Practice Awards honor educators and clinicians who have made significant contributions to implement and advance evidence-based dentistry in research, practice, and the classroom.

The 2025 Nomination Period is now open!

To nominate, send a Resume/CV and a Letter of Recommendation to Jon Zink, Council on Advocacy for Access and Prevention, at caap@ada.org. Please designate which award category you are nominating for in your email. We will be accepting nominations until July 7th, 2025.

For more information on nomination criteria, please see the Submission Instructions and category drop down menus below.

Awards overview

The Evidence-Based Dentistry Faculty and Practice Awards were established by the 糖心logoand the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR). Winners of the EBD Awards receive a commemorative plaque and a $1,000 honorarium. They are selected by a committee composed of members of the 糖心logoCouncil on Scientific Affairs Clinical Excellence Subcommittee, representation from AADOCR, and a non-voting participant from Colgate.

Winners of the 2025 EBD Awards will be honored at the Changemakers Celebration during SmileCon 2025 in Washington DC.

Submission instructions

To receive award consideration, applicants or their nominators must submit the following:

Verification that the nominee meets all award eligibility criteria.
Contact information for the nominee (and the nominator, if different than the nominee).
A letter of reference from a colleague, dental school dean, department head, or other leader in the profession describing the nominee's relevant contributions to the profession (focusing on the criteria for the specific award) and the depth, breadth, and diversity of the professional accomplishments relevant to the particular award being sought.
A CV for the nominee.

This is a one-time award; winners are ineligible to apply again. Nominees are not carried over from year to year. Prior-year nominees must apply again for award consideration.

Accomplished Faculty Award category

Award eligibility criteria

Membership in the 糖心logoor AADOCR
Fifteen years or more as a full-time or part-time faculty member at an accredited U.S. university
For example, seven years at school A and eight years at school B qualifies as 15 total years
Have a leadership role in bringing a new EBD research or educational program to their school, or have a leadership role in developing EBD resources for the profession

Past recipients

2024: Dr. Hom-Lay Wang, University of Michigan School of Dentistry
2023: Dr. Norman Tinanoff, University of Maryland School of Dentistry
2022: Dr. Gregg Gilbert, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry
2021: Dr. Margherita Fontana, University of Michigan School of Dentistry
2020: Dr. Rajesh Lalla, University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine
2019: Dr. Analia Veitz-Keenan, New York University College of Dentistry
2018: Dr. Richard Niederman, New York University College of Dentistry
2017: Dr. Jane Forrest, University of Southern California Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry
2016: Dr. John Rugh, University of Texas Health Science Center Dental School at San Antonio
2015: Dr. Greg Huang, University of Washington School of Dentistry

Mid-career Faculty Award category

Award eligibility criteria

Membership in the 糖心logoor AADOCR
Five to 15 years as a full-time or part-time faculty member at an accredited U.S. university
Outstanding and promising contributions to the practice and profession: Completion of an EBD project within the past two years, or authorship on an EBD-related project (such as an evidence summary, a systematic review, an evidence-based guideline, or a dissemination and implementation research study) that is accepted by a peer-reviewed publication

Past recipients

2024: Dr. Wei-Shao Lin, Indiana University School of Dentistry
2023: Dr. Tamanna Tiwari, University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine
2022: Dr. JoAnn Scott, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry
2021: Dr. Marcelle Nascimento, University of Florida College of Dentistry
2020: Dr. Satheesh Elangovan, University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics
2019: Dr. Joana Cunha-Cruz, University of Washington School of Dentistry
2018: Dr. Vineet Dhar, University of Maryland School of Dentistry
2017: Dr. Jaana Gold, University of Florida College of Dentistry
2016: Dr. Ahmad Abdelkarim, University of Mississippi School of Dentistry
2015: Dr. Donald Chi, University of Washington School of Dentistry

Practice Award category

Award eligibility criteria

Membership in the ADA
Seventy percent of work must be in the clinic providing direct patient care
Completion of an EBD project within the past two years, or demonstrated leadership in implementing EBD to improve patient care in private practice or a public health setting and encouraging colleagues to use research findings in practice

Past recipients

2023: Dr. Kadambari Rawal, Boston University School of Dental Medicine
2022: Dr. Martha Ann Keels, Duke Street Pediatric Dentistry of Durham, North Carolina
2021: Dr. Brian Nový of Quincy, MA
2020: Dr. Christopher Smiley of Grand Rapids, MI
2019: Dr. Thomas Paumier of Canton, OH
2018: Dr. Elliot Abt of Skokie, IL
2017: Dr. Ben Balevi of Vancouver, British Columbia
2015: Dr. Jane Gillette of Bozeman, MT

Additional past recipients

2016: Combined EBD Faculty Award presented to Drs. Teresa Marshall and Cheryl Straub-Morarend, University of Iowa College of Dentistry

2014: Inaugural Evidence-Based Dentistry Award presented to Dr. Robert Weyant, University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine