IADR Statement on the Global Impact of 2025 U.S. Administration Policies
The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) is committed to driving dental, oral and craniofacial research for health and well-being worldwide. Because U.S. policy decisions reverberate globally across research ecosystems, education pipelines, public health policy, and patient care, IADR urges an evidence-based, internationally engaged policy posture from the U.S. Administration and Congress. We also affirm our strong support for the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) and the coalition efforts it has led or joined to protect scientific mobility and strengthen global health.
Global talent, visas, and the research pipeline
A predictable, fair, and timely U.S. immigration system is essential for the international flow of students, clinicians, and scientists who power discovery and translate evidence into public and patient benefit, both in the United States and around the world. Recent proposals affecting H-1B selection, fee structures, and student visa rules risk weakening U.S. research capacity, disrupting clinical education, and destabilizing international cooperation that underpins innovation and health security. AADOCR has taken principled steps with its partners to address these risks, including urging the U.S. Administration to pursue alternative approaches that do not exacerbate the dental faculty shortage, pressing for fair and transparent H-1B policies and fees, as well as submitting comments opposing the elimination of “Duration of Status” for F-1/J-1 scholars. IADR shares these concerns.
Beyond dentistry, leading scientific societies have documented how uncertainty in student-visa processing and status has a chilling effect on international collaboration and slows the pathways of scientific talent. Stability and due process in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) are necessary for a thriving, collaborative global research enterprise in which U.S. institutions are trusted partners. This extends beyond the individuals themselves but also supports universities, health systems, and communities around the world that rely on a robust oral health workforce to achieve better population health.
In solidarity
IADR respectfully urges the U.S. Administration and Congress to:
1. Sustain scientific mobility and academic continuity
- Preserve “Duration of Status” for F-1 and J-1 visa holders and ensure clear, consistent SEVIS practices grounded in due process.
- Abandon weighted H-1B selection schemes and punitive fee structures that deter recruitment of clinical educators and researchers.
- Provide transparent, timely adjudications and reasonable pathways for internationally trained dental faculty and researchers critical to maintaining Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) standards and patient care in community settings.
2. Invest in global health and multilateral engagement
- Renew support for U.S. global-health programs with explicit support for oral-health integration across non-communicable diseases (NCDs), maternal-child, aging, and primary-care platforms in particular.
- Reestablish U.S. membership and leadership within the WHO to advance the WHO Global Oral Health Action Plan and science-based health security.
- Facilitate partnerships and research knowledge exchange, through conferences and other collaborative activities, for the benefit of all.
Our commitment
IADR’s mission is inherently global. Policies that restrict talent flows and limit global health and undermine not only U.S. institutions, but also international research partnerships and the communities they serve. We therefore reiterate our strong support for AADOCR’s recent advocacy, including letters to the U.S. Administration on H-1B visa policies and fees, regulatory comments on student-visa status rules, and participation in legal action challenging the revocation of student visas. We stand ready to collaborate with policymakers in the U.S. and globally to advance solutions that promote scientific collaboration, foster innovation, and improve oral health worldwide.
