April 25, 2023
SAN RAMON, Calif. — Childhood myopia development and orthokeratology are among the topics CooperVision will focus on for its 2023 Science and Technology Awards. The program enables researchers around the world to explore new dimensions in vision care, with the goal of translating innovative ideas into practical solutions.
Each year, CooperVision determines specific areas of focus for the Science and Technology Awards program. In 2023, submissions will be considered for the following subjects, with a special focus on myopia and orthokeratology:
- Understanding childhood myopia development, including pathogenesis, mechanisms, and risk factors.
- New methods to prevent the onset of myopia, including prophylactic technologies and novel proposals for glasses, contact lenses, interactive, and combination therapies.
- Strategies to prevent the development of symptomatology in new contact lens wearers, with an emphasis on diagnosis and early intervention therapies, understanding biochemical changes in newly fitted wearers over time, and controlled release technologies for delivery of beneficial agents, as well as approaches to improve moisture retention.
- The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on contact lens fitting and diagnosis, including applications for optometry and OrthoK with technologies such as ChatGPT, Bard, and more.
“Our relentless drive to discover new ways to meet the current and future needs of eye care professionals and contact lens wearers is what keeps CooperVision at the forefront of product development,” said Francis Erard, CooperVision’s Vice President of Research & Development. “The Science and Technology Awards program extends the path to innovation outside of our own organization, providing opportunities to some of the brightest minds in the field to pursue research and make progress toward solving the vision challenges for which they are most passionate.”
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.
CooperVision’s 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 before June 23, 2023. If a letter is accepted, an applicant will be invited to submit a full proposal. Additional information and the online application are available at www.coopervision.com/about-us/
