The mission of the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation is to advance the orthodontic specialty by supporting education and research. Foundation funding ensures the future viability of the specialty by investing in the next generation of educators and researchers.
The AAOF’s Endowment Campaign has realized $38.4 million in pledges from Constituent and Component Societies, AAOF Corporate Partners, Friends of the Specialty (including AAO and constituent society staff); but the vast majority of all funds pledged have come from AAO members.
The Awards Program has contributed $10.8 million in funding for orthodontic education and research, primarily in support of Junior Faculty, including:
- 210 Fellowship Awards
- 205 Research Awards
- Over 1,000 Gifts in Support of orthodontic residency programs
- 80% of Junior Faculty supported by the AAOF remain in full-time academics after five (5) years
- Final Reports from some 400 peer-reviewed, funded proposals posted to the AAOF Website.
Support for Junior Faculty has resulted in:
- Publications – over 100 articles and abstracts, most of which have been published in journals within orthodontics, but many in journals outside of the specialty and the profession
- Lectures – scores of lectures at dental, orthodontic and other scientific meetings
- Professional advancement – to date at the 72 graduate orthodontic residency programs in the US and Canada there are 31 Department Chairs and/or Program Directors funded while Junior Faculty, Numerous tenured, associate and full professor positions and fifteen NIH funding recipients
The AAOF continues to support the AAO Foundation Craniofacial Growth Legacy Project, as well as the Education Innovation Award FACEs Mentoring Consortium.
Note: Ziegler Practice Transitions, Ltd. has been an AAOF Regent Level Corporate Sponsor since 2007.