Dental Protection’s research competition for foundation dentists
This is the annual Dental Protection research competition for foundation dentists, in partnership with The MPS Foundation. We recognise that foundation dentists are the future of the profession, and we want to support you. We believe that research and continuous improvement are essential to a dentist’s career, and we want to promote and celebrate this fact among foundation dentists.
The aim of the competition is to:
- Recognise, celebrate, and reward excellence demonstrated by foundation dentists in patient safety, risk reduction and wellbeing of dental healthcare professionals.
- Provide an opportunity for foundation dentists to develop their understanding and expertise in patient safety and risk reduction.
- Generate an interest in research amongst foundation dentists, to build research capability and capacity for the future in the dental sector.
- Provide career-advancing opportunities for newly qualified dentists with a focus on research.
The areas of focus
The competition this year will focus on the important area of patient safety, risk mitigation and dental healthcare professionals as applied to any of the four domain areas of
Professionalism
Communication
Leadership & management
Clinical areas
The competition categories
To provide the greatest opportunity for foundation dentists to enter the competition and to allow them to demonstrate their best work using different approaches, they can submit their competition entries under one of three categories:
Quality improvement project which has application to patient safety applied within any of the four domains that is undertaken during the Foundation year.
Presentation of a case managed during the Foundation year with any one or more of the other three as the main component preceded by a mini systematic review that could be identified through audits
Small-scale practice-based research on patient safety undertaken during the Foundation year that demonstrates their competency/competencies in any of the four domains
Visit our terms and conditions to learn more.
Preparing a good competition entry
We’ve created a guide to help you prepare the best entry for submission.
Also available here is the assessment criteria the judges will use.
How to enter
Who can apply
The competition is open to foundation dentists who are undertaking their training in 2025 – 2026. Foundation dentists can enter either as an individual or as part of a team. All members of a team must be foundation dentists.
How to submit your competition entry
- Register your interest on our competition portal.
- Prepare your competition entry in accordance with the guidelines.
- Submit your competition entry via our competition portal.
How to register your interest
Complete your details by registering. You can do this at any time from 21 October 2025. Submissions close on 31 July 2026. Please note: you will have to register before you can submit your competition entry.
How to submit your entry
To enter the competition, you’ll need to submit an entry that includes the following information:
- Your Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education (PGMDE) region
- The name of your training practice
- Whether the project is by an individual or a team of foundation dentists
- The category under which your project falls
- The title of your project
- A lay summary of your project
- The rationale for your project
- How the project was undertaken
- The results of the project
- How the result could impact your practice and the practice of others
2025 UK Foundation Dentists Competition
Dental Protection’s research competition for foundation dentists
This is the annual Dental Protection research competition for foundation dentists, in partnership with The MPS Foundation. We recognise that foundation dentists are the future of the profession, and we want to support you. We believe that research and continuous improvement are essential to a dentist’s career, and we want to promote and celebrate this fact among foundation dentists.
The aim of the competition is to:
- Recognise, celebrate, and reward excellence demonstrated by foundation dentists in patient safety, risk reduction and wellbeing of dental healthcare professionals.
- Provide an opportunity for foundation dentists to develop their understanding and expertise in patient safety and risk reduction.
- Generate an interest in research amongst foundation dentists, to build research capability and capacity for the future in the dental sector.
- Provide career-advancing opportunities for newly qualified dentists with a focus on research.
The areas of focus
The competition this year will focus on the important area of patient safety, risk mitigation and dental healthcare professionals as applied to any of the four domain areas of
Professionalism
Communication
Leadership & management
Clinical areas
The competition categories
To provide the greatest opportunity for foundation dentists to enter the competition and to allow them to demonstrate their best work using different approaches, they can submit their competition entries under one of three categories:
Quality improvement project which has application to patient safety applied within any of the four domains that is undertaken during the Foundation year.
Presentation of a case managed during the Foundation year with any one or more of the other three as the main component preceded by a mini systematic review that could be identified through audits
Small-scale practice-based research on patient safety undertaken during the Foundation year that demonstrates their competency/competencies in any of the four domains
Visit our terms and conditions to learn more.
Preparing a good competition entry
We’ve created a guide to help you prepare the best entry for submission.
Also available here is the assessment criteria the judges will use.
How to enter
Who can apply
The competition is open to foundation dentists who are undertaking their training in 2025 – 2026. Foundation dentists can enter either as an individual or as part of a team. All members of a team must be foundation dentists.
How to submit your competition entry
- Register your interest on our competition portal.
- Prepare your competition entry in accordance with the guidelines.
- Submit your competition entry via our competition portal.
How to register your interest
Complete your details by registering. You can do this at any time from 21 October 2025. Submissions close on 31 July 2026. Please note: you will have to register before you can submit your competition entry.
How to submit your entry
To enter the competition, you’ll need to submit an entry that includes the following information:
- Your Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education (PGMDE) region
- The name of your training practice
- Whether the project is by an individual or a team of foundation dentists
- The category under which your project falls
- The title of your project
- A lay summary of your project
- The rationale for your project
- How the project was undertaken
- The results of the project
- How the result could impact your practice and the practice of others