If you have any questions regarding the RPB Grants Program, please contact RPB's Grants Administrator, Pattie Moran, at 646-892-9566 or pmoran@rpbusa.org.
If you have any questions regarding the RPB Grants Program, please contact RPB's Grants Administrator, Pattie Moran, at 646-892-9566 or pmoran@rpbusa.org.
Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) provides grants to high-performing U.S.-based departments of ophthalmology and to their high-potential investigators. There is an RPB grant category available to a scientist at any stage in his or her career -- from a medical student considering academic eye research to a seasoned investigator extending the frontiers of vision science. The unrestricted nature of RPB grants allows for the greatest flexibility in the pursuit of breakthrough discoveries.
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Departments of ophthalmology must have an Research to Prevent Blindness Unrestricted/Challenge Grant (U/C) Grant in order to apply for individual grants, and only permanent, full-time department chairs are eligible to apply for any RPB grants. Applications for all RPB grants must be submitted by the chairman of a department of ophthalmology.
At many research institutions, RPB's support creates a multiplier effect. Unrestricted departmental grants can be used to augment a variety of research endeavors, including bridge funding for individual researchers, equipment purchase, and statistical analysis support. At the same time, the flexibility of an RPB individual grant allows a researcher to generate data in order to acquire larger government grants, or, if he or she is already a government-supported investigator, to pursue additional, related research. The successes generated by these scenarios can attract donors to support university research and capital projects, further expanding capacity across the vision research community.
RPB accepts grant applications twice a year, January 10 and July 1, for the grant categories stated below. Application forms must be requested by the chair of the department of ophthalmology or the department's grant coordinator. Departments of ophthalmology must have an RPB Unrestricted/Challenge (U/C) Grant in order to apply for individual grants, and only permanent, full-time department chairs are eligible to apply for any RPB grants. Chairs may nominate only one candidate per grant category per cycle.
Applications are evaluated via a three-tiered process. RPB Ad Hoc Committees, which are comprised of ophthalmology department chairs, conduct initial grant reviews and forward their recommendations to the standing RPB Scientific Advisory Panel for further evaluation. The Advisory Panel includes some of the nation's most distinguished scientists representing a broad range of scientific disciplines and interests. Their recommendations are presented to the RPB Board of Trustees for final approval.
New chairs should speak with RPB's President prior to the submission of an U/C application (contact Pattie Moran at pmoran@rpbusa.org to schedule the call). If a proposal for an Unrestricted or Challenge Grant is rejected, the chair must wait two years before reapplying, so RPB strongly encourages thorough preparation and planning before an application is submitted.
A chair may also submit an individual grant application when applying for departmental support, but if the department's U/C application is rejected, the individual grant application will be ineligible. Chairs who apply for departmental support should indicate which grant – Unrestricted or Challenge – the department seeks. However, RPB reserves the right to decide which grant will be given to the department, if any.
All RPB grants must be credited to a separate account and remain free of institutional overhead; grantees are responsible for year-end reporting and regular publicity updates. Once awarded, RPB support must be cited in every publication, all press releases and all media coverage of developments emanating from RPB grants.
Not all RPB grants are available throughout the year. Below is a timeline for applications:
Grant Category | SPRING CYCLE Deadline January 10 * | FALL CYCLE Deadline July 1 * |
Career Development | R | R |
Disney/Amblyopia | R | Q |
Int'l Research Scholar | R | R |
Med Student Fellowship | R | R |
Nelson Trust/RP | Q | R |
Physician Scientist | R | Q |
Research Sabbatical | R | R |
Special Scholar | R | Q |
Stein Innovation | R (Inside Ophth.) |
R (Outside Ophth.) |
Unrestricted/Challenge | R | R |
RPB Career Development Awards
RPB Walt and Lilly Disney Award for Amblyopia Research
RPB Harold F. Spalter International Research Scholars Awards
RPB Medical Student Eye Research Fellowships
RPB Nelson Trust Award for Retinitis Pigmentosa
RPB Physician-Scientist Awards
RPB Research Sabbatical Grants
RPB Special Scholar Awards
RPB Stein Innovation Awards
There are currently no one-time grants being offered. Please check back for future opportunities.
Please contact RPB's Grants Administrator, Pattie Moran, at 646-892-9566 or pmoran@rpbusa.org if you have any questions regarding the RPB Grants Program.
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