ADEA/Gillette Hayden Memorial Foundation Tuition Scholarship for Early Career Professional Development

Purpose

The American Dental Education Association (ADEA), with support from the Gillette Hayden Memorial Foundation (GHMF), announces the ADEA/Gillette Hayden Memorial Foundation Tuition Scholarship for Early Career Professional Development to attend the ADEA Emerging Leaders Program. This scholarship supports professional development activities for faculty in predoctoral or advanced dental education in the early stages of their careers (up to three years of experience).

The ADEA/Gillette Hayden Memorial Foundation Tuition Scholarship for Early Career Professional Development promotes the advancement of dentists who have demonstrated leadership potential in academia. The award is supported by a grant from the Gillette Hayden Memorial Foundation.

Participation in the ADEA Emerging Leaders Program is designed to improve attendees’ teaching abilities, increase their leadership skills and advance their understanding and mastery of other elements critical for a successful academic career

Overview

The ADEA Emerging Leaders Program is a three-and-a-half-day program that covers topics such as leadership styles, team building and time management, which are essential to planning and implementing a successful academic career. The highly interactive program has been designed specifically to give faculty guidance, insight and skills to propel participants’ careers and is suited for early-career faculty members, whether they recently joined their institutions after a residency or time spent in private practice. The programming includes onsite sessions led by preeminent dental education experts, readings, assignments and team-building exercises.

Additionally, each participant is assigned to a peer group tasked with helping its members to implement the topics discussed and learn to manage the pressures of being a new faculty member. These peer groups are facilitated by leaders in dental education who themselves are graduates of the ADEA Emerging Leaders Program or the ADEA Leadership Institute.

One tuition scholarship will be awarded in 2026. The scholarship recipient or their institution will be responsible for lodging and transportation expenses associated with participating in the program. All early career predoctoral and advanced dental educators (up to three years of experience) are welcome to apply.

The 2026–27 ADEA Emerging Leaders Program will be held July 22–26, 2026, at the new ADEA office in Washington, DC.

Eligibility Requirements

An applicant must:

• Agree to the terms of scholarship, including participating in the program in its entirety. Additionally, the applicant may be asked to participate in a video testimonial of the scholarship’s impact on their professional development. Portions of the video may be used for ADEA and GHMF promotional purposes.
• Be nominated by the dean of their dental school. No more than two nominations per school are permitted.
• Be a full- or part-time predoctoral or advanced dental educator at an ADEA Member Institution.
• Be an ADEA Individual Member.

The application for this scholarship will use the information in the applicant’s ADEA profile. Please ensure the profile is updated by going to MyADEA.

Application Process Checklist

The following items must be submitted by June 1, 2026 using the ADEA online application process.

1. A completed ADEA/Gillette Hayden Memorial Foundation Tuition Scholarship for Early Career Professional Development application form, including a personal statement describing the applicant’s strengths and weaknesses as a faculty member and a summary describing any previous professional development experience.
2. A current curriculum vitae.
3. One letter of recommendation from a colleague, stating why the applicant should be considered for the tuition scholarship.
4. One letter of nomination from the dean of the applicant’s dental school stating how the applicant’s participation will benefit the applicant and institution.

De-identified applicant information will be used to improve scholarships at ADEA and may be published. Identified information (e.g., biography) of the successful winner will be published on the ADEA website, shared with the winner’s home institution, and may be used in ADEA promotional material.

By applying for this scholarship, the applicant agrees to have read, and understands, how personal information could be used.

Application Deadline

All application materials must be submitted by June 1, 2026.

Notification Date and Award Announcement

The scholarship recipient and applicants not receiving awards will be notified by June 30, 2026.

The award will be announced during the 2027 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition, March 13–16, 2027, in Chicago, IL.