SAN JOSE, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 12/02/13 -- Align Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALGN) today announced that it has extended its funding of the Align Research Award Program for a fifth consecutive year for universities in North America and for a fourth year for international universities. Align has also added two additional research awards to the international segment in recognition of the rapid increase in university research in programs outside of North America.

Launched in 2009, the Align Research Award Program is an annually-funded program designed to promote clinical and scientific research in clear aligner therapy. "Study results from past awards have increased our understanding of treatment using clear aligners," said John Morton, Align Technology's director of research and technology. "In light of this success, we are excited to increase the number of research grants that may be funded this year."

The awards for 2014 include four one-year awards of $25,000 each for clear aligner treatment research at universities in North America, eight one-year awards of $25,000 each for clear aligner treatment research at international universities, and five one-year awards of $5,000 each for intra-oral scanner research worldwide, for a total award pool of $325,000. As part of each scanner research award, Align will either loan the award recipient an iTero™ scanner for one year or provide a $5,000 credit towards the purchase of an iTero scanner. Study proposals for this research are not limited to the field of orthodontics; they may address any aspect of dentistry in which scanner technology would be of value.

"The success of the previous research award programs has been seen through publications in scientific journals and presentations at society congresses. We believe scientific research has a positive effect on clear aligner acceptance in international markets, so we're pleased to increase the international award pool for 2014," said Dr. Mitra Derakhshan, Align Technology's director of clinical international.

Eligible applicants for the clear aligner research award component include full- and part-time faculty involved in orthodontic or scientific research at universities where Invisalign is available. Eligible applicants to the scanner research award component include full- and part-time faculty involved in research in orthodontics or general dentistry, in countries where the iTero scanner is commercially available. All applications are reviewed by an independent academic committee that forwards its recommendations to Align Technology for final selection. The academic committee chair for 2014 is Dr. Sunil Wadhwa, director of the Division of Orthodontics at Columbia University. Program details, instructions, and application forms for prospective applicants can be found at https://learn.invisalign.com/researchawards (for North American applicants) and https://learn.invisalign.com/internationalresearch (for international applicants). Research proposals and completed applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on March 1, 2014. Award recipients will be notified by May 16, 2014.

About Align Technology, Inc.
Align Technology designs, manufactures and markets Invisalign, a proprietary method for treating malocclusion, or the misalignment of teeth. Invisalign corrects malocclusion using a series of clear, nearly invisible, removable appliances that gently move teeth to a desired final position. Because it does not rely on the use of metal or ceramic brackets and wires, Invisalign significantly reduces the aesthetic and other limitations associated with braces. Invisalign is appropriate for treating adults and teens. Align Technology was founded in March 1997 and received FDA clearance to market Invisalign in 1998.The Invisalign product family includes Invisalign, Invisalign Teen, Invisalign Assist, Invisalign Express10, Invisalign Express 5, Invisalign Lite, and Vivera Retainers. To learn more about Invisalign or to find an Invisalign trained doctor in your area, please visit www.invisalign.com.

Cadent Holdings, Inc. is a subsidiary of Align Technology and is a leading provider of 3D digital scanning solutions for orthodontics and dentistry. The Cadent family of products includes the iTero scanning system, OrthoCAD iCast and OrthoCAD iRecord. For additional information, please visit www.cadentinc.com.

Source: Align Technology

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