This new Oral Health Research Education (R25) grant application from Baylor College of Dentistry (BCD) is termed "CUSPID", based on the theme "Clinicians Using Science Produce Inspired Dentists". CUSPID complements the recent advances at BCD in the development of a strong and sustainable infrastructure for research in the oral health sciences. Formal collaboration with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) in Dallas, has led to BCD faculty and student involvement in two major NIH Roadmap initiatives: a K12 award (RR 023251) for multidisciplinary training of Clinical Research Scholars, and a CTSA (Clinical and Translational Science Award - U54) application to develop a strong infrastructure for clinical and translational sciences at UTSW and BCD. In order to meet its strategic goals to educate graduate dentists as critical thinkers and life long learners and to take full advantage of the educational opportunities stemming from these programs, it is imperative that the college create its own distinct set of educational experiences that are structured around knowledge and skills. The application proposes to (i) create a curricular theme throughout all four years of dental school centered on the knowledge, principles, and skills of scientific inquiry necessary for the dentist to critically evaluate new information and advances in treatment, and to participate in dental practice research networks; (ii) implement enrichment activities through a Dental Scholars Program that will provide a subset of dental students with additional curricular experiences in clinical and translational research; and (iii) implement a faculty development program that will enhance the ability of all faculty to teach students sound scientific rationale for the incorporation of new information and technologies into oral healthcare. The program will be jointly administered by a team of principal investigators, each with a unique skill set and academic profile. Leadership will be drawn from an interactive group of faculty educators, researchers, administrators and students with great responsibility and interest in the area of curriculum development. The collective impact of the proposed educational initiatives on the practices of dental alumni, the career choices of graduates and the overall institutional culture will be systematically assessed through pre and post graduation surveys. The R25 mechanism offers a unique opportunity for integration of advances from recent local and NIH investments in scientific infrastructure at BCD with the strategic goals of the institution to improve competency-based exercises in building critical thinking skills for evidence-based dentistry. Project Narrative: This Oral Health Research Education (R25) grant application from Baylor College of Dentistry is called "CUSPID" ("Clinicians Using Science Produce Inspired Dentists"). We propose to implement curricular and faculty development changes that will ensure that our dental graduates are equipped with critical thinking skills that will enable them to incorporate evidence-based dentistry as a part of their clinical decision-making process. This enhanced skill set will augment their potential as lifelong learners equipped to critically evaluate new information and advances in treatment, and lead to improvement in dental practice and the oral health of the nation. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]