Student Travel Fellowships
Scholarships
Recognition Awards

2021 Student Fellowship Requirements will be updated and posted late Summer 2021.
Please look at the 2020 requirements to get an idea of how the program is structured. 

If you are not already a student or resident member of the Academy, please apply now. 


Grant Name


Purpose

Application Window

Travel awards in the amount of $750. To increase AAOF student participation, create a climate of giving back to the profession, and promote involvement in American chapters at North-American Schools and Colleges of optometry.
TBD 2021

No individual applications (school selected)
ARVO Student Travel Fellowship
Travel awards are available in the amount of $750 to attend the Association for Research and Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting.
Feb 24 - Mar 9, 2020
Cancelled this year
Frank W. Weymouth Student Travel Fellowship 
Eligible candidates include optometry, vision science students and graduate students. Two awarded primarily for accomplishments or potential in optometric or vision research. Academic abilities, including clinical abilities if relevant, are considered. One letter of recommendation is required.
TBD 2021
Irvin M. Borish Student Travel Fellowship 
Eligible candidates include students, residents and graduate students. Two  awarded primarily for accomplishment or potential in optometric or vision research.  Academic abilities, including clinical abilities if relevant, are considered. Applicant must have had an abstract accepted as a first presenter/author of a scientific paper or poster. One letter of recommendation is required.
TBD 2021
Brazelton Low Vision Student Travel Fellowship
Awarded to student primarily for accomplishment or potential in optometric Low Vision research. Academic abilities, including clinical abilities if relevant, are considered. One letter of recommendation is required.
TBD 2021
Edward I. Goodlaw Travel Fellowship
Awarded to an optometry student or resident for work in low vision work. If an appropriate application is not received in Low Vision in a particular year, an optometry student or resident in the field of Contact Lenses will be considered. One letter of recommendation is required.
TBD 2021
Michael G. Harris Student Travel Fellowship (AOSA President)
Awarded to the current President of the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA). To recognize those optometric students who show outstanding promise to the profession of optometry as evidenced by their leadership in the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA). The grant will be presented by the Academy to the President of the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA) for his/her expenses related to attending the Academy's Annual Meeting. 
TBD 2021
Robert D. Newcomb Student Travel Fellowship (AOSA Liaison)
Awarded to the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA) national liaison of the Academy. To recognize those optometric students who show outstanding promise to the profession of optometry as evidenced by their leadership in the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA). The travel grant will be presented by the Academy to the AOSA national liaison for his/her expenses related to attending the Academy's annual meeting.
TBD 2021
Johnson & Johnson Vision Student Travel Fellowship
Travel grants are awarded primarily for accomplishment or potential in clinical or research aspects of vision.  Academic abilities, including clinical abilities if relevant, are considered. One letter of recommendation is required. Applicant must have had an abstract accepted as a first presenter/author of a scientific paper or poster.
TBD 2021
AAO Student Travel Fellowship 
Awarded to candidates primarily for accomplishment or potential in optometric or vision research.  Academic abilities, including clinical abilities if relevant, are considered. One letter of recommendation is required. Applicant must have had an abstract accepted as a first presenter/author of a scientific paper or poster.
TBD 2021
Arizona Chapter Student Travel Fellowship
Candidate must be an optometry student at Midwestern University, Arizona College of Optometry. Must have been selected to present a paper or poster at the upcoming Academy meeting. One letter of recommendation and a one page statement are required.
TBD 2021
Candidate will be a third or fourth year student whose professional goal is to be in private practice. One page statement on why you are pursuing a career in private practice. Only selected schools that are in the current year rotation my apply. No abstract required.
TBD 2021

No individual applications (school selected)
The fellowship will be awarded to an optometry student for accomplishment and potential in optometric research and education. Academic abilities, including clinical abilities if relevant, are considered. Being a presenter of a scientific paper or a poster is required. One letter of recommendation is required.
TBD 2021
Candidate currently in their second, third, or fourth year in optometry school. Applicant must be a current member of BSK. Candidate must submit a short essay 300-500 max. words. Being a presenter of a scientific paper or poster is desired but not required. 
TBD 2021
Candidate will be a  third or fourth year student  whose professional goal is pursuing a career in private practice. Applicant must be a current member of AAO. Candidate must submit a one page statement. Being a presenter of a scientific paper or a poster is desired but not required. One letter of recommendation is required.
TBD 2021
Eligible candidates include third or fourth year optometry students or residents from the University of Houston College of Optometry. Academic abilities, including clinical abilities if relevant, are considered. Must be a student/resident member of the Academy. Applicant must be the first presenter of an accepted scientific paper or poster. A letter of recommendation is required. 
TBD 2021
Candidates must be a third or fourth year optometry student at an ACOE accredited optometry school. Student must be a current member of the Academy. Candidate must submit a brief essay (500 words) describing any leadership experience that you have acquired to date, and outline how you plan to use this experience in future leadership roles in the profession, your practice, and your community. Two letters of recommendation are required from Fellows in good standing; at least one being a faculty member at their school. The awardee is funded to attend the Fundamentals of Leadership Part I -  Defining Leadership course at the annual meeting. Attendance is required.
TBD 2021
Candidates must be a 3rd or 4th year student or resident with plans to pursue a career in private practice. Must be a member of the Academy. One letter of recommendation from a faculty member and a one-page statement (about 500 words) stating why the student will pursue private practice as well as any experience acquired that will enable them to contribute to a future leadership role in the profession are required. Awardee is required to attend the Leadership Fundamentals I course at the Academy annual meeting in the year the award is received. Registration fee for that course is included in the travel fellowship. 
TBD 2021
Open to 3rd and 4th year students at an accredited school or college of optometry in North America. Must have a minimum GPA of 3.0. Must be member of the American Academy of Optometry. Presenting a paper or poster at the Academy annual meeting is desirable but not a requirement. 
TBD 2021
Must be a student or resident with an accepted abstract in the Academy Scientific Program. Must be available to present this paper or poster at the NJAO Chapter meeting on November 6, 2019 in Neptune, NJ. Preference is given to permanent residents of the state of New Jersey. 
TBD 2021

Grant Name


Purpose

Application Window

Sponsored by an educational grant from Johnson & Johnson Vision each year, this $500 award is given to recognize outstanding 4th year student clinicians who have demonstrated excellence in contact lens patient care during their optometric education. One award per year for each school/college of optometry.
Feb 1 - Apr 1, 2021

No individual applications (school selected)
VSP Global® has partnered with the American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF) to provide scholarships for optometry students at every school and college of optometry in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The scholarships will be funded through the VSP Global companies Eyes of Hope® Global Charitable Fund and administered by the AAOF. Each scholarship carries $3,250 in scholarship money and a $750 travel grant to attend Academy meeting.
July 20 - Aug 17, 2021

No individual applications (school selected)
VSP®, in partnership FYidoctors, has joined forces with the American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF) to provide scholarships to optometry students at two schools of optometry in Canada. Each scholarship carries $750 in scholarship money and a $750 travel grant to attend the Academy meeting.
July 20 - Aug 17, 2021

No individual applications (school selected)
Recognizes students who best demonstrate the ideal eye care standards of practice, achievement in both academic performance and extra-curricular activities, and participate with other professional pursuits such as involvement with patients through internships, community service, and other volunteer activities.
July 15 - Sept 15, 2020

No individual applications (school selected)

Between two and five scholarships of $2,000 are awarded for each academic year with the award going to the school or college for application to the student’s financial aid.
July 15 - Sept 15, 2020

No individual applications (school selected)

Award Name

Purpose

Deadline

The award is $750 for the primary author to travel to attend the annual meeting. If other authors than the first author were also pursuing the Doctor of Optometry degree while conducting the research, multiple awardees may divide a total travel award of $1,500.
April 1, 2021