Align Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALGN) today announced the opening of its 2021 Research Award Program to support clinical and scientific dental research in universities across the globe. This year, up to $300,000 will be awarded to university faculty for scientific and technological research initiatives to advance patient care in the fields of orthodontics and dentistry.

Through its Research Award Program, Align Technology has funded approximately $2 million in research awards since its inception in 2010, providing insights that include intra-oral scanning and patient experience, quality of life changes, as well as insights into the biochemical markers of bone metabolism during early orthodontic tooth movement with clear aligners.

“As a company, our brand promise is to change lives by transforming smiles, and we are pleased to offer our support to clinical and scientific research in orthodontics and dentistry that can advance that goal,” said Raj Pudipeddi, Align senior vice president, chief innovation, product, and marketing officer. “We are proud of advancements from earlier research and look forward to the next wave of research that could improve orthodontic and dental treatments for the benefit of patients globally.”

Awards available for dental research at universities are available in the following regions:

• Americas (US, Canada, Mexico, Central, and South America): Four one-year awards of up to US$25,000 each
• EMEA: Four one-year awards of up to US$25,000 each
• APAC: Four one-year awards of up to US$25,000 each

Eligible applicants for dental research awards include full- and part-time faculty involved in dental or scientific research at universities at which Invisalign® treatment or the iTero scanner is available.

All applications are reviewed by an independent academic committee that forwards its recommendations to Align Technology for final selection.

Program details, instructions, and application forms for prospective applicants can be found at https://learn.invisalign.com/research-awards-landing-page (for Americas, EMEA, and APAC applicants). Research proposals and completed applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on March 5, 2021. Award recipients will be notified by June 7, 2021.

About Align Technology, Inc.
Align Technology designs and manufactures the Invisalign® system, the most advanced clear aligner system in the world, iTero® intraoral scanners and services, and CAD/CAM software.

Align has helped treat over 9 million patients with the Invisalign system and is driving the evolution in digital dentistry with the iTero intraoral scanner and exocad® CAD/CAM software − modernizing today’s practices by enabling enhanced digital orthodontic and restorative workflows to improve patient outcomes and practice efficiencies.