OSAP, DANB, and DALE Foundation Announce Andrew Whitehead Education and Certification Scholarship for Dental Infection Control

In a joint initiative to elevate standards of dental infection control, the Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Prevention (OSAP), the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB), and the DALE Foundation have introduced the OSAP-DANB-DALE Foundation Andrew Whitehead Education and Certification Scholarship, per a press release from OSAP.

The scholarship aims to provide infection prevention and control education and certification to individuals actively involved in dentistry. It was created in an effort to recognize each dental professional’s role in maintaining infection control standards, per the press release.

The scholarship is accessible to all dental professionals with a minimum of 1040 hours of work experience. Successful applicants will be granted access to comprehensive educational materials and have their certification exam fees covered, enabling them to pursue certification as either a Certified in Dental Infection Prevention and Control (CDIPC) or a Dental Industry Specialist in Infection Prevention and Control (DISIPC).

The CDIPC certification is designed for those engaged in clinical practice, management, training, or consultation related to clinical practice. Alternatively, the DISIPC is tailored for dental professionals working outside clinical settings.

More than just a tribute to Andrew Whitehead's impact on the field, this scholarship hopes to tackle the financial barriers hindering access to infection prevention and control knowledge. OSAP, DANB, and the DALE Foundation aim to empower those in the dental profession to uphold the ongoing safety and well-being of both patients and practitioners, according to the press release.

Applications for the OSAP-DANB-DALE Foundation Andrew Whitehead Education and Certification Scholarship will be accepted through April 1, 2024. The winners will be carefully selected, and the announcement is slated for June 1, 2024.

Dental professionals interested in applying for the scholarship can submit their applications online here.