(PRESS RELEASE) SAN RAMON, CA — CooperVision has extended the submission deadline for its 2020 Science and Technology Awards program to June 12, with a focus on novel research concepts to address myopia and presbyopia. The program fosters partnerships between recipients and CooperVision scientists to explore new dimensions in vision care, with the goal of translating innovative ideas into practical solutions.
“Since launching the Science and Technology Awards in 2014, multiple collaborations have emerged that are helping shape advancements in contact lenses, refractive error and ocular disease,” said Francis Erard, CooperVision’s vice president of research and development. “We have high expectations for new partnerships this year, especially with such high-visibility areas as myopia and presbyopia.”
Over its history, the program has made 14 grants totaling $2 million to investigate matters such as ocular surface health, contact lens discomfort, contact lens functionality, and retinal response to optical defocus.
In 2020, submissions will be considered for the following subjects:
- Strategies and interventions to slow myopia progression, with an emphasis on new technologies for treatment and management; effective solutions for fast progressors; understanding environmental factors that may initiate and prolong progression; and intelligent systems and data approaches for identifying at-risk eyes.
- Technologies to enhance the optical functionality of contact lenses for the correction of presbyopia.
Proposals may span proof-of-concept through translational stages and are eligible for two types of awards. The CooperVision Seedling Award is intended for investigation of early stage concepts for a one-year period, with a maximum grant of $100,000. The CooperVision Translational Research Award is a two-year grant for substantive projects with funding up to $400,000. It is intended to incentivize collaboration with CooperVision in new research areas.
CooperVision Science and Technology Awards are open to any researcher with principal investigator (PI) status holding an OD, MD, PhD or equivalent degree. Applicants such as postdoctoral fellows with a waiver of PI status must submit appropriate documentation before funding can be disbursed.
Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent by June 12, 2020. If a letter is accepted, an applicant will be invited to submit a full proposal. Additional information and the online application are available here.