VCU School of Dentistry is now ranked in the top 10 among all public U.S. dental schools in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research.

In 2024, the school received more than $6.6 million from the NIH to advance a wide range of oral health and biomedical research, ranking 9th among public dental schools.

"Achieving a top 10 ranking in NIH research funding is a reflection of the collective dedication, expertise, and hard work of our entire research community,” said Iain Morgan, Ph.D., associate dean for research at VCU school of Dentistry and Director of the Philips Institute for Oral Health Research. “This milestone is the result of strong collaborations between our faculty, students, research and administrative staff, and partners across disciplines—working together to push the boundaries of oral health research. I also greatly appreciate the support that I have received from Dr. David Sarrett, our previous Dean, and Dr. Lyndon Cooper, our current Dean. None of this would have been possible without their unwavering support.”

The NIH is the world’s largest financial supporter of biomedical research, and the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research is an independent, nonprofit organization that compiles annual rankings of NIH research funding to individual researchers and academic institutions.

The School of Dentistry’s latest ranking is an improvement of five spots from last year and 10 spots over the last five years.

“This is a major feat and one that deserves special acknowledgement of Dr. Iain Morgan’s leadership and the tremendous effort of our research faculty, post-doctoral fellows and graduate students,” said Lyndon Cooper, D.D.S., Ph.D., dean of VCU School of Dentistry. “We will continue to fully support our researchers and students who continually push the boundaries of discovery in oral health.” 

“Securing a top 10 ranking among public U.S. dental schools in NIH research funding is one measure of our collaborative and innovative culture at VCU on our health sciences campus.. It represents the consistent curiosity and continuous hard work by our researchers who remain steadfast in our mission to drive impactful research that shapes the future of dentistry,” he added. 

Among public institutions, VCU School of Dentistry is one of two VCU units (Department of Family Medicine - VCU School of Medicine) ranked in the top 10 of the Blue Ridge Institute’s 2024 rankings. Additionally, five of VCU’s health sciences schools and departments rank in the top 15 for NIH research funding in their fields among public institutions.

“We are proud of this achievement and remain committed to fostering an environment where innovation, teamwork, and discovery thrive for the benefit of patients and communities worldwide," said Morgan. "As we look to the future, we are energized by the possibilities ahead—pioneering new discoveries for disease prevention and treatment that will shape the future of oral health."