Advancing a Community-Grounded, Cross-Disciplinary Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research Workforce.

Abstract

The Diversity Matters: Advancing Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research Leaders Symposium has become a staple at the annual meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR). Approaching its fifth year, this report synthesizes insights from the 2025 AADOCR Committee on Diversity and Inclusion's (CDI's) Diversity Matters Symposium, which explored strategies for cultivating an inclusive, community-grounded research workforce. Drawing on participant perspectives, it highlights key levers-including mentorship, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and institutional practices that reduce exclusionary barriers-to strengthen innovation across the dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) research ecosystem. While grounded in the US context, these context-informed recommendations may offer insights adaptable across settings, supporting a workforce that reflects the populations it serves and advances structurally responsive, community-grounded research.Knowledge Transfer Statement:This article offers actionable, context-informed recommendations from the 2025 AADOCR Diversity Matters Symposium to integrate inclusive, community-grounded practices into dental, oral, and craniofacial research systems, workforce development, and translational research. These insights can guide institutions, funders, and policymakers in strengthening research excellence, innovation, and translational impact, while remaining adaptable beyond the US context.