During the 1950s, the New Zealand Dental Association became concerned that more should be done to stimulate dental and oral research in this country and, in 1961, commissioned a report that recommended the creation of a dental research foundation. Established in May 1964, the New Zealand Dental Research Foundation awards grants for research projects related to dentistry. Its overall purpose is to "promote, foster and extend the study and practice of the art and science of dentistry in New Zealand".  The Foundation Board considers applications for funding to support new or ongoing projects, to purchase equipment, or for any other purpose that will result in the acquisition and/or dissemination of new knowledge relevant to dentistry. The Board annually invites applications for grants, assesses their quality with advice from national and international expert referees, ranks them and approves funding up to the level determined by that year's income transferred from the Foundation Trust.

Since its inception, the Foundation has provided financial support for numerous research projects related to dental and oral health, to help extend the boundaries of dental knowledge and to promote the fostering and extension of the study and practice of the art and science of dentistry in New Zealand. The number of awards offered varies each year and currently has an individual application ceiling of $15,000. 

Donations

Fund-raising started in 1964 with an inaugural grant of £2,000 from the Association, and a subsequent campaign eventually raised £70,000 from dental practitioners, the dental supply industry and other businesses. To manage the operation of the Foundation, two complementary governance bodies, a Trust and a Board, were established. The Trust is responsible for the accumulation and investment of the capital of the Foundation, while the Board decides the expenditure on a variety of research activities. In 2000, the Association launched a further fund-raising effort which has resulted in considerable growth of the Trust fund. NZDA biennial conferences now donate one third of their profit to the Foundation, and many NZDA members individually add to the investment via annual donations.

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Recipients of the 2010 NZDA Research Foundation Awards

Mr M Atieh, University of Otago: Oral implants in molar extraction sockets: microbiological aspects

Mr P Babu, University of Otago: Cytokine profile of natural regulatory T cells and Th17 cells in human periodontal disease

Professor R Cannon, University of Otago:  Tissue culture incubator for dental research

Ms Lara Friedlander, University of Otago: The topographical and functional relationship of coronal and apical dental pulp cells

Mr H Hussaini, University of Otago:  Immune escape mechanisms in oral cancer and lymph node metastases and their relationship to clinical outcome

Professor J Kieser, University of Otago:  Treatment of dry mouth with microemulsions

Ms P Suppiah; University of Otago: Prevalence of periodontitis and oral characteristics in ankylosing spondylitis patients