OHI mentees are early-career researchers — dentists and non-dentists alike — who want to lead rigorous, publishable research and become part of a growing African transdisciplinary research network.
Who Can Apply
OHI has intentionally recruited across disciplines since Cohort 1. Past mentees have included:
• Dentists (DMD/DDS)
• Nurses
• Public health professionals
• Biostatisticians
• Computer scientists
• Biochemists
• Physicians and medical students
• Psychologists
• Other fields
You do not need a dental background to conduct impactful oral health research — Cohort 2 proved this, with all five fellows (zero dentists) successfully securing grant funding for oral health research projects.
• Dentists (DMD/DDS)
• Nurses
• Public health professionals
• Biostatisticians
• Computer scientists
• Biochemists
• Physicians and medical students
• Psychologists
• Other fields
You do not need a dental background to conduct impactful oral health research — Cohort 2 proved this, with all five fellows (zero dentists) successfully securing grant funding for oral health research projects.
What You'll Gain
• Intensive research boot camp training (in-person or virtual)
• One-on-one and small-group mentorship from the OHI Core Team or a Cascading Mentor
• Support developing and registering systematic reviews, scoping reviews, or meta-analyses (e.g., with PROSPERO)
• Opportunity to compete for sub-grant funding for your proposed project
• A defined pathway from protocol to peer-reviewed publication
• Continued access to the OHI Network and Core Team after programme completion
• One-on-one and small-group mentorship from the OHI Core Team or a Cascading Mentor
• Support developing and registering systematic reviews, scoping reviews, or meta-analyses (e.g., with PROSPERO)
• Opportunity to compete for sub-grant funding for your proposed project
• A defined pathway from protocol to peer-reviewed publication
• Continued access to the OHI Network and Core Team after programme completion
What's Expected of You
• Development of a research protocol through to submission
• Commitment to producing a completed, submission-ready manuscript within your programme's timeline (typically within 12 months under the Cascading Model)
• Commitment to producing a completed, submission-ready manuscript within your programme's timeline (typically within 12 months under the Cascading Model)
How to Apply
Applications open annually. Current mentee recruitment depends on the cohort structure:
• Standard cohorts: open external applications (see current Call for Applications)
• Cascading cohorts (e.g., Cohort 4): recruitment is managed directly by individual OHI-trained mentors — check with the specific research cluster (AFRICA WRITE–OH, PROFER, NEXTGEN–OHI, POHRE, MPRIME, M-ORAL, RDH) for openings.
• Standard cohorts: open external applications (see current Call for Applications)
• Cascading cohorts (e.g., Cohort 4): recruitment is managed directly by individual OHI-trained mentors — check with the specific research cluster (AFRICA WRITE–OH, PROFER, NEXTGEN–OHI, POHRE, MPRIME, M-ORAL, RDH) for openings.
Registration Form
Alumni Spotlight
Several OHI alumni have gone on to earn doctoral degrees, secure competitive sub-grants, and become mentors themselves — including all seven Cohort 4 mentors, who were once mentees just like you.