We propose an innovative Infrastructure Enhancement Plan (IEP) to build and sustain a new focus area for the School of Dentistry (SOD) and University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Implementing our EEP will allow us to: (1) synergize with existing strengths to create an exciting new interdisciplinary research area in host response in regenerative oral medicine that will allow us not only to participate in, but to lead, an important new initiative at UAB; (2) capitalize on our exceptionally strong institutional support to create a critical mass of scientists in our focus area; (3) capitalize on the unusually collaborative interdisciplinary environment at UAB to fully integrate these scientists into our research milieu; (4) recruit senior-level scientists who can assume leadership roles in this area; (5) increase training and career development for junior faculty recruits and trainees in this focus area; and (6) build on recent successes in minority recruitment to place a special emphasis on increasing the number of underrepresented minority faculty and postdoctoral fellows, residents, and students in this research focus area. We have a rare opportunity to build upon a series of recent events at the federal, state, university, health center, and school levels that have converged at this point in time to create a milieu prime for research infrastructure development. In concert with successful competition for a Phase IR24 planning grant, our Dean and University President have committed substantial resources to this IEP. This commitment will not only lead to successful implementation, but will sustain growth in the post-award period. Our essential message is that the SOD has significant existing strengths upon which to build, and that the most effective method to build upon these strengths is to synergize with major strengths hi the health center and university at large. Our EEP will catalyze a timely opportunity to bolster oral health research infrastructure, leading long-term to increased NIDCR, NIH, and nonfederal research funding and moving the school into top-tier ranking by 2010; creating a school that consistently makes cutting-edge scientific advances; regularly submits meritorious grant applications in its targeted area; and continually provides cutting-edge scientific training and career development in its research focus area.
