NIDR funding related to the presence of oral biology departments and source of basic science instruction

The amount of research funds awarded to American dental schools by the National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR) in 1976 and 1977 was analyzed according to the schools' oral biology and basic science deparmental status. Four categories of schools were identified based on the presence or absence of oral biology programs (the ORB and NOB schools, respectively) and on medical school (-M) or dental school (-D) source of basic science instruction. This breakdown yielded 20 ORB-M schools, 7 ORB-D schools, 12 NOB-M schools, and 15 NOB-D schools. The ORB schools generated more than twice as much mean National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR) research funding per school as did the NOB schools. The rank order of funding in the four subgroups was ORB-M, NOB-D, ORB-D, and NOB-M. The rank order of NIDR research funding among these four subgroups was quite similar to the previously reported rank order of student National Board performance in the same subgroups.