Skip to main content
Scholarships

International Resident Award

One $2,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a rising third-year resident who completed dental school outside of the United States.

The award is intended to assist second-year periodontal residents with travel, immigration, legal, and other expenses during their residency period. Applicants that demonstrate leadership and/or community service are encouraged to apply.

International program participants
June 1
Application deadline
2026
Founded
About the award

Eligibility

Eligibility is restricted to internationally trained residents that completed their predoctoral studies and received their DMD or DDS outside United States. Applicants must be in their second year of a periodontal residency program within the U.S. and must be nominated by their department chair.
The dental school where the applicants completed their predoctoral studies may have but does not need to have been CODA accredited. Immediate family members of the Foundation Board of Directors, officers, and selection committee members are not eligible to apply.

Additional program details

A single $2,000 payment is made in December following the award presentation at the AAP Annual Meeting.
Donor

Irina Dragan

The AAP Foundation is grateful to the many donors who made this award possible including Dr. Irina Dragan and her patients at The Perio Studio in Boston, MA.

Dr. Dragan is a former AAPF Awardee and current Board Member who completed her dental degree in Romania and her periodontal residency in the U.S.

“My patients and I are proud to have created this award to assist with the additional expenses borne by international residents. Our specialty is fortunate to have the AAP Foundation as a partner to make programs like this possible.”
Irina Dragan
International Resident Award
    Apply

    Application & selection procedure

    Application deadline

    June 1

    Selection

    Each applicant should submit a copy of their most recent CV and a 750-word maximum personal statement addressing why they decided to pursue their training in the periodontology and implant dentistry in the United States. The recipient is selected by an award committee appointed by the AAP Foundation president and including at least one member with an international background similar to eligible applicants.

    This award’s selection committee

    Georgios Kotsakis, Chair
    Irina Dragan
    Erin Breen
    Rafael Siqueira
    Sejal Thacker

    Ready to apply?

    See deadlines and apply for this and every AAP Foundation award.

    Support this program

    Your gift helps fund this award.

    Recipients

    Recipients by year

    2026
    Samin Sirous, University of California, Los Angeles
    Samin Sirous

    2026 recipient

    Samin Sirous

    University of California, Los Angeles