The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) and Unilever have created an oral health behavior research award.
One IADR Unilever Social Entrepreneur Approach (SEA) to Change Oral Health Behavior Research Award will be granted up to $75,000 and will be provided in the form of an unrestricted research grant. Proposals will be accepted until March 3, 2014.
The IADR award will be funded exclusively by Unilever. The purpose is to stimulate scientific research in social entrepreneur approaches to effect real behavioral change at the individual or community level that improve oral health. There is a particular emphasis on interventions targeted to disadvantaged and vulnerable populations.
In Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Europe, Unilever has a significant presence of oral care brands, including Signal and Close Up.
IADR President Helen Whelton explained that the global burden of oral diseases and the worldwide oral health inequalities requires new, innovative research approaches.
Alexis Roberts-McIntosh, vice presiden to the Global Oral Care Category R&D for Unilever listed five levers of encouraging behavioral change: Make it understood, make it easy, make it desirable, make it rewarding, and make it a habit.
Examples of research areas of interest could include, but are not be limited to the following:
- Demonstrating the effectiveness of social entrepreneurial approaches to improving individual health decisions
- Expanding current behavioral change models
- Demonstrating the effectiveness of positive, relevant oral health messaging incorporated into a complex social milieu
- Understanding the underlying social determinants of health, including oral health
