Dental Preventive Clinical Support

The Indian Health Service, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through its Division of Oral Health, has announced the Dental Preventive and Clinical Support Program under funding opportunity number HHS-2026-IHS-TDCP-0001. This program builds upon the longstanding Dental Clinical and Preventive Support Centers that have been in operation since 2000. These centers have played a key role in advancing oral health outcomes in American Indian and Alaska Native communities by ensuring that dental programs have access to training, resources, and guidance. Over two decades, these initiatives have contributed to measurable improvements such as reduced cavity rates among Native children and decreased gum disease prevalence in adults. The purpose of this grant is to strengthen and expand the support centers so that they may continue guiding, training, and enhancing IHS, Tribal, and Urban dental programs within designated Areas. Rather than providing direct clinical services, these centers support programs by promoting oral health initiatives, delivering training, assisting with oral health screenings, and producing educational resources. The ultimate goal is to ensure that the work of these centers results in documented and measurable improvements in oral health outcomes among American Indian and Alaska Native patients. Funded activities will include technical assistance, training, continuing education, and community-based oral health promotion and disease prevention. Centers must produce measurable outcomes through their work, such as improved accreditation results, increased provider skills, improved clinical efficiency, or reduced rates of early childhood caries. Required responsibilities also include attending national support center project meetings and National Dental Updates organized by IHS, and promoting research and demonstration projects on the causes, diagnosis, and prevention of oral disease. Eligible applicants for this program are federally recognized Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Urban Indian organizations as defined under federal law. Applicants must provide letters of support or Tribal Resolutions from the Tribes they propose to serve, and Urban Indian organizations must provide proof of nonprofit status. Only one program per IHS geographic Area will be funded, though multiple Areas may combine to submit a regional proposal. Individuals, foreign organizations, and certain Tribes subject to restrictions under the Alaska Moratorium are not eligible. The program does not require cost sharing. The program expects to provide a total of $2.7 million in funding for this cycle, distributed across approximately six awards, with each award ranging between $400,000 and $440,000 annually. Awards will be made for an initial budget period of one year with the possibility of continuation for up to five years depending on the availability of funds, successful performance, and IHS priorities. Continuation funding will be based on annual evaluations of services provided, methods used to influence oral health, and the measurable outcomes achieved by the funded centers. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov no later than October 10, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The expected award date is December 1, 2025, which is also the earliest anticipated project start date. Applicants must have active registrations in SAM.gov and Grants.gov prior to applying. Application materials include project and budget narratives, Tribal resolutions or equivalent documentation, letters of support, proof of nonprofit status when applicable, and audit documentation. A detailed work plan and biographical sketches for key personnel are also required. Applications will be reviewed for completeness and responsiveness before undergoing a merit review. Proposals will be evaluated based on introduction and need for assistance, objectives and work plan, evaluation strategy, organizational capacity and personnel qualifications, and the budget narrative. Applicants will receive an executive summary statement of their review results within 30 days of review completion. For program and eligibility questions, applicants may contact Dr. Cheryl Sixkiller at 301-256-8812 or Cheryl.Sixkiller@ihs.gov. For grants management or review process inquiries, applicants may contact the Division of Grants Management at DGM@ihs.gov.