Oral Health Education and Training (Stream 1)

Deadline: 31-Jul-2024

Applications are now open for the Oral Health Access Fund (the Fund), a new grants and contributions funding program that will expand access to oral health care.

The Fund will achieve this by supporting projects that reduce or remove non-financial barriers to accessing oral health care for targeted populations. It will fund projects that aim to:

connect people to oral health care
deliver prevention and education efforts to improve oral health
improve training and capacity for oral health care providers

The May 2024 call for proposals will fund projects that address:

competency gaps related to the treatment of targeted populations
training adaptation to ensure sufficient hands-on training opportunities

Funding Priority

In this 2024 Stream 1 call for proposals, funding will be prioritized for projects that relate to training and capacity building. Ensure your application clearly outlines how your project aligns with this funding priority. Specifically, funding through this stream will support projects that:
- address competency gaps in the knowledge and skills of students and/or oral health care professionals related to the treatment of targeted populations, and/or
- help oral health training institutions adapt to provide students with sufficient hands-on training opportunities
Examples of possible projects could include:
- curriculum development for oral health training programs to improve students’ knowledge and skills for treating targeted populations
- professional development opportunities for oral health professionals to develop the knowledge and skills for treating targeted populations
- internships and partnerships with community-based, government or social service organizations for oral health students to gain experience providing treatment to targeted populations in underserved areas
- design adaptations to ensure students continue to have access to sufficient hands-on training opportunities that are also accessible to patients.
These examples are illustrative and do not reflect a comprehensive list of projects that Health Canada will consider.
- Health Canada is committed to funding projects that promote diversity and inclusion. Health Canada funding seeks to improve health outcomes of all people living in Canada, including minority, equity-seeking groups.

Funding Information

Funding will support many projects across the country, and so will be dispersed through a highly competitive process. The total funding available from the Fund for projects under stream 1 is limited to:
- $25 million in the 2025 to 2026 fiscal year
- $50 million in the 2026 to 2027 fiscal year
- $50 million in the 2027 to 2028 fiscal year
The amount allocated to stream 1 after 2028 will be determined at a later date.

Key Outcomes and Indicators

Immediate
- Outcomes
  - Students and service providers have access to training opportunities to improve knowledge and skills in providing oral health care services as a result of the Fund’s funded projects
  - Reduction in access barriers to oral health services for the Fund’s targeted populations
- Indicators
  - Number of measures implemented to increase training opportunities
  - Number of knowledge products produced
  - Number of measures implemented to expand/adapt existing programs/partnerships
  - Number of measures implemented to reduce barriers to oral health care
  - Number of oral health education and promotion products produced
  - Number of measures implemented to expand/adapt existing programs/partnerships
  - Number of measures implemented to promote oral health (prevention activities)
Intermediate
- Outcomes
  - Students and service providers acquire enhanced knowledge and skills to provide oral health care
  - The Fund’s target populations access oral health care
- Indicators
  - Number of individuals from targeted populations who report seeing an oral health professional for the first time in the past 12 months
  - Number of individuals from targeted populations accessing oral health education and promotion products
  - Number of preventative services provided to individuals
  - Number of individuals who received preventative services
  - Number of therapeutic services provided to individuals from targeted populations
  - Number of individuals who received therapeutic services
Longer term
- Outcomes
  - Students and service providers deliver person-centred oral health care
  - Improved oral health of the Fund’s targeted populations
- Indicators
  - Percentage of student and service provider training recipients who report implementing new knowledge and skills
  - Number of individuals from targeted populations who report improved oral health

Targeted Populations

Targeted populations under the Fund include those who experience barriers to accessing oral health care, such as:
- children
- Indigenous Peoples
- newcomers to Canada
- official language minority communities
- people experiencing homelessness
- persons with disabilities
- rural and remote communities
- seniors
Proposals must identify how a project will reduce barriers to accessing oral health care for targeted populations.

Eligibility Criteria

For Stream 1, accredited and non-accredited Canadian oral health training institutions can apply, including those who are:
- not-for-profit
- publicly-funded
- privately funded
This includes training institutions providing programs for all 6 oral health professions:
- dentistry
- denturism
- dental hygiene
- dental therapy
- dental assisting
- dental technology
Training institutions located outside of Canada are not eligible to apply.

For more information, visit Government of Canada.