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6110 Executive Boulevard, Suite 506 • Rockville, MD 20852, USA • Tel (301) 984-4734 • Fax (301) 984-4737 • 
Purpose
To encourage talented persons to pursue full-time careers in optometry, the American Optometric Foundation (AOF) is now accepting proposals for two research grants sponsored by VISTAKON®, Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. The AOF, in conjunction with the American Academy of Optometry Research Committee, will award these competitive grants to fund basic or clinical research in the area of soft contact lenses.
Awards
Two one-year awards: $25,000 and $10,000. *All funds, as per policy of the American Academy of Optometry and the American Optometric Foundation will be issued in U.S. currency to the primary institution of record.
Eligibility
The $25,000 award is open to all persons in optometry and vision science. In 2010 the winner was chosen from a pool of nine very competitive applicants.
The $10,000 award is limited to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows no more than five years from their terminal degree. Eight applications were received in 2010.
Application Deadline
APPLICATION WINDOW FOR 2012 OPENS MAY 2012.
Note: Prior to window open, guidelines are subject to change. Please review all information before submitting your application to ensure it meets all criteria.
The 2012 deadline for applications is July 20, 2012.
Application and Review Procedures
Each proposal must be submitted electronically and contain the following components.
- Cover page; project title, institution, name (including degree) and title for Primary and Secondary investigator.
- Introduction; background and significance; specific aims; preliminary studies; and study design and methods. These sections should total no more than 5 pages.
- References (maximum of 1 page)
- Budget and budget justification (maximum of 1 page) *It is the policy of the Foundation not to cover indirect cost.
- Biographical sketch(es) of Principal and one co-investigator only (maximum of 2 pages for each investigator) that must include:
- Full contact information
- Education/training; research and professional experience; honors and awards
- Publications (refereed) for the last three years and representative earlier publications (max. of 3)
- Signed letter of Assurance (one page) by Department Chair (or Signatory Official) indicating the proposal has been reviewed and meets with the standards of the institution.
APPLICATIONS THAT DO NOT FOLLOW THIS OUTLINE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED
Proposals are reviewed by a peer review committee established by the American Academy of Optometry's Research Committee.
Application Submission
All proposals must be submitted by email to: and contain in the subject title: Vistakon Research Grant + Primary Investigator Last Name.
Applicants will receive a confirmation receipt by email from the Foundation within 1 -3 business days after submission. Files exceeding 10 MB must be broken into separate smaller units to allow passage through internet security measures.
Costs
The AOF is a non-profit organization and our policy is not to cover any indirect costs associated with the Vistakon Research Grant or any other of our programs. This policy applies uniformly to all award recipients.
Award Conditions
Funds support research conducted for a period of one year. Recipients must submit a minimum 500 word report of their research findings to the AOF at the end of the award period in order to be eligible for subsequent awards.
Any manuscript or publication material produced must acknowlege the American Optometric Foundation and Vistakon, Division of Johnson and Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
Recipients are also encouraged to submit a manuscript to Optometry and Vision Science.
For additional information, contact Tracy Kitts, Foundation Coordinator at the American Optometric Foundation: (301) 984-4734 or
VISTAKON®, AMERICAN OPTOMETRIC FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE FELLOWSHIP AND GRANT RECIPIENTS
JACKSONVILLE, Fla (November 7, 2011) – VISTAKON®, Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., and the American Optometric Foundation (AOF), today announced recipients of the 2011 VISTAKON® Research Grants. Designed to encourage talented persons to pursue full-time careers in optometry, the Vistakon Research Grants are given to fund basic or clinical research in the area of soft contact lenses.
The recipients of the AOF-VISTAKON® Research Grants are:
$25,000 Grant
Association of IL-17 single nucleotide polymorphisms with the susceptibility and severity of keratitis in contact lens wearers
Nicole Carnt, B Optom (Hons), FAAO, FBCLABrien Holden Vision Institute, University of New South Wales
$10,000 Grant
A novel approach to determine the optimal multifocal soft lens for myopia control by the use of modified autorefractors
Donald Egan, OD
College of Optometry Western University Health Sciences
These are highly competitive research awards with the awardees selected by an international panel of scientists from many qualified applicants.
VISTAKON® is proud to have partnered with the American Optometric Foundation for over a decade, providing over one million dollars of support for scholarships, fellowships, and research grants. "VISTAKON® and the AOF are truly changing the future of optometry by supporting education, leadership, research in optometry," said Cathie Amos, OD, FAAO, President, American Optometric Foundation. VISTAKON® is the only member of the Foundation’s Visionary circle.
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VISTAKON® is a trademark of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
