Fogorvosi szemle, 2005 (98. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
2005-09-01 / Supplementum
14 - -----FOGORVOSI SZEMLE ■ 98. évf. Supplementum, 2005. I will describe how each of these missions has a role in research promotion. The first mission-“advancing research and increasing knowledge’-includes two areas of importance in research promotion: (a) programmes to promote research in less developed countries and (b) partnerships with other agencies. IADR has two principal programmes to promote research-a “Regional Development Programme” (RDP) and it's “Awards Programme”. The RDP identifies and supports programmes at promoting research in developing regions and IADR allocates funds each year for this programme. Since it was initiated in 1996 IADR has contributed €230,000 to support these programmes. A regional development project was funded in Central Europe in 1999. The project was aimed at research promotion and provided ten travel awards to attend the CED meeting in Warsaw and a science transfer seminar at the meeting. IADR also has an award/fellowship programme to recognise and support researchers and contributes approximately $100,000 annually in these areas. Partnership and collaboration with other organisations is a key component of the first mission of IADR and it is of particular relevance today with the President of FDI and the President of ADEE present. IADR and FDI have close formal and informal links which have developed more actively in recent years. FDI is represented on the IADR Council-its overall governance body. IADR is represented on the FDI Science Commission, which reviews health research and also provides a venue for networking and collaboration across the various scientific disciplines in dentistry and with industry. The Journal of Dental Research (JDR) is the premier journal of IADR and has the highest citation index of any dental journal. Recently another IADR journal “Critical Reviews in Oral Biology and Medicine” has been incorporated into JDR and these are all available electronically. IADR also publishes a newsletter “IADR Reports” electronically, which provides updates on IADR activities and research issues. Scientific meetings and publications provide opportunities for researchers to present and disseminate information on new developments and are key aspects of promoting research. Role of Central Europe and Hungary Central Europe and Hungary are currently part of the Continental European Division of IADR, which has 1100 members. Membership in Central Europe and Hungary has grown in recent years and there are approximately 200 members in the region. So there is a strong base here and opportunities to grow and develop and contribute to research. There are a number of steps that need to be taken locally in order to promote research. Membership of IADR is key in this respect and this starts in the dental schools and universities. Academics at all levels should be involved in research and present their work at local meetings initially. This encourages junior staff and students to become interested in research. The involvement of the broader dental community-public sector dentists and general practitioners-is also an important component of this development. Universities and dental schools need to collaborate and work together to form Sections of IADR in the region. When Sections of IADR are formed a structure should be put in place where all interested parties can work together and develop scientific meetings and publications. Part of this process involves developing awards and fellowships to recognise and support young researchers. Industry can play an important role is this area. The region can also develop through collaboration in Europe. As part of the Continental European Division (CED) of IADR, members in the region should actively participate in the scientific meetings of CED and its publication of the European Journal of Oral Sciences. The Pan-European Federation (PEF) also allows for collaboration across Europe, including hosting of joint meetings. In addition CED and the local sections should use the resources available from the IADR Regional Development Fund to promote research in the region. There will also be opportunities to work with FDI and ADEE in promoting research in practice and in dental education. I was very involved in forming an Irish Division of IADR in the 1980’s and we used a process as described above. It was a very rewarding experience. The Irish Division is now part of the Pan-European Federation (PEF), is represented on the IADR Council, its members have won prestigious IADR awards and indeed Dublin hosted the international IADR meeting in 1989. So from small beginnings much can be achieved. There is every reason to believe that Hungary, like Ireland, can take leadership role in developing and promoting research in this region. Conclusions I hope this presentation has given some insight into the need for oral health research, how IADR through its missions promotes research and how this region of the world can contribute in a major way to research and to the health of the community. References 1. Clarkson J: The IADR Missions: Promoting Dental Research. J Dent Res 2002; 81: 300-301. 2. Petersen PE: Challenges to Improvement of Oral Health in the 21st Century - the approach of the WHO Global Oral Health Programme. Int Dent J 2004; 54: 329-343.
