Policies

The members of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) constitute a community of researchers dedicated to advancing research worldwide into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating, and curing its disorders.

While freedom of inquiry is at the heart of this enterprise, such freedom carries with it the responsibility of professional conduct. ARVO members, non-member participants and invited guests are entitled to a harassment-free environment as they exchange research in ARVO publications, convene at ARVO meetings and programs, or engage in any other ARVO activity.

A harassment-free environment is one in which conduct is based on respect for others and which does not in any way exploit power and/or status differences, such as those that exist between (but not limited to) faculty and students, senior and junior colleagues, employers and those seeking employment, or those who grant access to publication, presentation, or other ARVO activities and those who seek such access. It also includes conduct based on respect in peer-to-peer relationships.

Harassment may be defined as offensive or inappropriate comments or nonverbal conduct in relation to a person or group of persons on the basis of personal characteristics which (i) has the effect or purpose of creating a hostile or intimidating environment; or (ii) has the effect or purpose of offending or demeaning a person or group of persons; or (iii) functions implicitly or explicitly to limit participation in a professional program, activity or opportunity. It is also the case that the victim of harassment can be anyone affected by the offensive conduct, not just the individual at whom the conduct is directed. In other words, what one or two persons may consider "joking around" may be unwelcome to or offensive to a bystander. Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal comment or physical conduct of a sexual nature by a person who knows or ought reasonably to know that such conduct is unwanted, including situations in which (i) the request or conduct involves any implied or expressed promise of professional reward for complying; or (ii) the request or conduct involves any implied or expressed threat of reprisal or denial of opportunity for refusing to comply; or (iii) the request or conduct results in what reasonably may be perceived as a hostile or intimidating environment. Such examples are illustrative, not exhaustive.

Sexual harassment does not refer to occasional compliments of a socially acceptable nature, or consensual personal and social relationships without a discriminatory effect. It refers to behavior that reasonably situated persons would regard as not welcome and as personally intimidating, hostile, or offensive.

ARVO is committed to the creation and maintenance of a harassment-free environment in all of its activities, meetings and events. The professional conduct of all members and non-members who participate in such activities, meetings and events is essential for preserving this standard. ARVO is also committed to preventing harassment by or toward its employees and third parties involved in its activities, including contractors, vendors, volunteers, or guests.

Any person who has experienced a serious verbal threat or any physical assault should contact law enforcement officials immediately.

Any person who desires to report a possible violation of the ARVO Anti-harassment Policy should promptly contact the ARVO Executive Director (ED) or the president of the ARVO Board of Trustees. ARVO has established procedures to address complaints under this Policy that provide guidelines for gathering information, maintaining confidentiality to the extent possible, reaching a determination, and determining disciplinary action. ARVO will carefully investigate all complaints according to these Procedures. No individual will be retaliated against for making a complaint or assisting with the investigation of a complaint. Anyone who is found to have engaged in harassment will be subject to disciplinary action, which may include, but is not limited to, reprimand and/or suspension or termination of the individual's membership and/or participation in current or future ARVO operated, sponsored or affiliated events.

The overall goal of the ARVO advertising effort is to increase revenue for the association, while promoting ideas, products or services that are related to eye and vision research. The ARVO Advertising Policy is designed to provide print and electronic opportunities in ARVO publications including but not exclusive of journals, Annual Meeting publications and products, newsletters, other meetings publications and products sponsored or co-sponsored by ARVO, and ARVO's websites. The following stipulations apply to all advertisements.

• ARVO does not endorse or support any particular product, service or idea. Any advertisement implying an endorsement by ARVO will not be accepted.
• Advertising must be relevant to ARVO membership. The Executive Vice President, the Executive Director and the Chief Marketing & Communications Officer retain the right to reject any materials deemed inappropriate or outside the scope of the organization.
• Advertising is accepted on a space-available basis, must meet stated production requirements and schedules, and stated fees must be paid. If fees are not paid in a timely manner, ARVO reserves the right to deny future advertising, sponsorships and exhibiting at ARVO meetings.
• ARVO mailing lists may be rented for one-time use only and the mailing pieces must promote scientific or medical products or services or support the development of the profession and may not adversely affect the individual interests of the members.
• Corporate use of ARVO Annual Meeting or other meetings abstracts for promotional or marketing purposes is expressly prohibited. Use of these materials for educational purposes must be reviewed by ARVO Executive Director or Chiefs of Meetings, Finance or Marketing & Communications.Advertisements from Exhibitors at ARVO's various meetings will receive priority at the meetings over non-exhibiting companies.
• Specific advertisements, including but not exclusive of those listed below, are reserved for Paid Exhibitors at ARVO meetings.
  • Bus signage and headrests
  • Transportation route signage
  • Tote bags
  • Lanyards
  • Banner ads, electronic (Annual Meeting website) or print (on-site)
  • Pens and other giveaways
• Advertisements may include product and/or corporate logos, with the exception of lanyards, which may carry a corporate logo only.
• The ARVO Board of Trustees reserves the right amend this policy without public notification. 

Approved: Board of Trustees Meeting, May 8, 1999
Revised and Approved: ARVO Board of Trustees, November 6, 2008

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE; http://publicationethics.org/), and supports the principles and guidelines developed and promoted by that organization. In addition, all ARVO-sponsored journals adhere to, and will generally apply, the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/), as put forth by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), particularly their stipulations regarding "Roles and Responsibilities" and "Publishing & Editorial Issues." The following statements supplement the ICMJE Recommendations, and provide further guidance regarding specific issues pertinent to publication ethics in ARVO journals.

1. Authorship. The fundamental principle of "giving credit where credit is due" applies here: all persons who qualify for authorship should be included as authors on manuscripts submitted for publication; those who do not qualify as authors, but who have made some substantive contribution to the manuscript, should have that contribution acknowledged appropriately (e.g., as an entry in the Acknowledgment section of the manuscript). As per the ICMJE Recommendations, the following four criteria define qualification as an author

• Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; and
• Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and
• Final approval of the version to be published; and
• Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

IMPORTANT: All four criteria must be met in order for a person to qualify as an author. The decision on who to include as an author on a manuscript should be discussed and agreed upon by all persons who qualify for authorship prior to the initial submission of the manuscript. The full name of each author should be listed in the order of importance of his/her contribution to the study with the corresponding author generally being either first or last. All authors bear responsibility for the full contents of the paper, unless explicit disclosure of the contributions of each coauthor is indicated. If at any time during the peer review process there is a change to the authorship listing, then authors must download and complete a Change of Authorship form. [Note: When removing an author, only the author being removed can make this request, and he/she also should submit a signed letter requesting removal along with this form.] Authorship removal requests made by the corresponding author, or other coauthors on the manuscript, are not acceptable and will not be honored. The remaining authors will be notified if one or more authors request that their names be removed and may be provided the reasons noted in the Change of Authorship form.

2. Plagiarism. With specific regard to plagiarism: this refers to the theft or misappropriation of another's ideas, processes, results, words, or intellectual property without giving appropriate attribution. Plagiarism represents a violation of U.S. copyright law as well as a serious breach of acceptable publication practices and ethics. All manuscript submissions must represent the original work, words, and ideas of the authors. Manuscripts will be subjected to plagiarism detection using commercial software (e.g., iThenticate®) prior to review. Any use of previously published work, whether the source is from another author or from author(s) of the current manuscript under review*, must explicitly cite and acknowledge the source and must have prior authorization from the copyright holder to use the previously published work. [*This refers to "self-plagiarism".]

3. Duplicate Publication. "Duplicate publication" is publication of a paper that overlaps substantially, in whole or in part, with one already published, without clear, visible reference to the previous publication. Like plagiarism, duplicate publication represents a violation of U.S. copyright law as well as a serious breach of acceptable publication practices and ethics. Authors should not submit the same or substantially similar manuscript, in the same or different languages, simultaneously to more than one journal. If a manuscript is suspected of being a duplicate submission, i.e., already under consideration at another journal, the review process will be halted and the Editor of the other journal will be notified. If it is confirmed that the manuscript is a duplicate submission, the manuscript will be rejected. In addition, the appropriate institutional official (e.g., Research Integrity Officer, Dean, or comparable official) where the corresponding/senior author(s) is(are) employed will be contacted to alert them to the situation. Any additional consequences to the author(s) will be left to the best judgment of the pertinent ARVO journal Editor-in-Chief and will be dependent upon the severity and flagrancy of the violation, and whether any coauthor was aware of the duplicate submission. If the Editor-in-Chief was not made aware of the violations in advance of publication and the ARVO journal article already has been published, the article may be retracted, with or without the author(s)' explanation or approval and a similar communication with institutional official(s) may occur.

4. Image Manipulation. All ARVO journals will adhere to the following policy regarding image manipulation, which is modeled after comparable policies of The Journal of Cell Biology and The Journal of Neuroscience, as summarized below:

Manipulation that violates these guidelines may result in production delays or revocation of acceptance:

• No specific feature within an image may be enhanced, obscured, moved, removed, or introduced.
• Constructing figures using images taken from different parts of the same gel, or from different gels, is discouraged. However, if and when this is necessary, it must be made explicit by the arrangement of the figure (e.g., using dividing lines) and in the text of the figure legend.
• Recordings obtained at different time points or from different sites must not be spliced together to give the appearance of a continuous record. Authors must make it clear in the figure legend how many different recordings are illustrated.
• Adjustments to images or recordings are acceptable if they are applied uniformly to all portions of the image or recording, and as long as they do not obscure, eliminate, or misrepresent information present in the original, including the background. Linear adjustments involving filtering or scaling (e.g., brightness, contrast, or color balance) must be applied to every pixel in the image or applied uniformly to an entire recording. The same instrument settings used to acquire images must be applied to both treated (experimental) and untreated (control) specimens. Non-linear adjustments (e.g., changes to gamma settings) or deleting portions of a recording (e.g., leak subtraction or stimulus artifacts) must be disclosed in the figure legend.
• The minimum resolution for images is 300 dpi.
• At the time of acceptance, authors may be required to submit uncropped images of complete gels for comparison to the prepared figures. If original data cannot be produced, the acceptance of the manuscript may be revoked.

Original data: The editors reserve the right to request any original data from authors at any stage in the submission, review, or publication process, including after publication. Failure to provide requested information may result in publication delays or revocation of acceptance for publication.

5. Ethical Misconduct. Scientific progress depends on the honest and ethical pursuit of scientific research and the truthful representation of research findings. ARVO adopts the official U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' definition of research (or scientific) misconduct, as specified by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) to include: falsification, fabrication, or plagiarism, in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results (http://ori.hhs.gov/definition-misconduct). Such misconduct is considered unethical. Ethical misconduct also extends to the inhumane or unethical treatment of animals or human subjects in the course of conducting research studies. Authors are expected to maintain the highest level of integrity in their scientific activities, including compliance with the policies stated herein. If an author is suspected of committing ethical misconduct, an allegation of such will be referred to the author's institutional Research Integrity Officer, or comparable institutional official, for further action, in keeping with ORI guidelines on handling allegations of research misconduct (see: http://ori.hhs.gov/definition-misconduct). Review of any manuscript where an allegation of suspected misconduct has been put forward will be suspended until such time as the matter has been resolved through due process.

Authors who are found to have engaged in misconduct will have their manuscripts rejected from further consideration if still under review, or, retracted if already published. Additional consequences may apply (see 3. Duplicate Publication, above).

6. Clinical Trials Registry. ARVO requires that clinical trials with two or more groups of subjects be prospectively registered for publication in ARVO journals. Please consult ARVO's Statement on Registering Clinical Trials.

7. Commercial Relationships. Each author, by way of the corresponding author, must disclose any relevant financial relationship(s) relevant to the subject matter of the submission. Please consult ARVO's Commercial Relationship Policy.

8. Ethical Use of Animals and Human Subjects in Research. All researchers are expected to uphold the highest level of ethical conduct when using animals or human subjects in research. ARVO's policies governing the ethical use of animals in research can be found here.

Guidelines regarding the ethical use of human subjects in research can be found here.

Approved: ARVO Board of Trustees, March 23, 2015

Statement on Registering Clinical Trials

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) follows the ICMJE definition of a clinical trial. In order to submit an abstract to an ARVO Meeting or submit a paper for publication in one of ARVO’s journals, you must review the definition and determine whether or not your study/research qualifies for registration. If so, please note that clinical trials require registration with a publicly accessible clinical trials registry that is a primary register of the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform or in ClinicalTrials.gov. Additionally, registration must be completed before the first patient is enrolled in the clinical study. 

For more information, contact clinicaltrials@arvo.org.

Although ARVO is not a grant-making institution, the Association welcomes opportunities to join, partner and collaborate with organizations and institutions on relevant activities that support our mission and strategic goals. The purpose of this policy is to provide a framework for considering and evaluating existing and potential new collaborations. ARVO's goal is to utilize this framework to proactively establish potential new collaborations in line with ARVO's mission and goals and as guidance for the review and determination of acceptance for unsolicited partnerships.

Types of collaboration

Institutional membership
ARVO represents the vision research community and participates in appropriate activities by joining/paying dues for institutional/organizational membership in relevant nonprofit groups.

Reciprocal marketing and promotion agreements
ARVO enters into mutually beneficial exchanges of advertising, exhibit booths and other in-kind activities with appropriate organizations.

Jointly sponsored/reciprocal symposia or events
ARVO organizes or co-organizes the scientific program for symposia or events hosted at partner organizations' meetings and provides travel support for ARVO member presenters who would not normally attend. (This is defined as presenters who are not members of partner organizations and have not attended partner organizations' previous three meetings).

Cosponsorship of another organization's conference/event
This may include:

In-kind support: ARVO will promote events relevant to the vision research community that are organized by nonprofit groups by listing them in the online ARVO Calendar (available to the public) and sharing them in relevant member e-newsletters.

Endorsement: ARVO reviews program content and determines alignment with ARVO's mission and goals. Accepted events may use the ARVO name and logo (in adherence with ARVO Identity Guidelines), the phrase "Endorsed by ARVO" and will be provided with in-kind promotional support.

Limited cosponsorship (excludes ARVO funding): Program committee must include ARVO members, and the ARVO Professional Development and Education Committee must approve the topic, program overview and objectives. ARVO lends its name/logo to the other organization and provides promotional materials, complimentary advertising in ARVO publications and on the ARVO website, assistance with resource development, assistance with obtaining meeting space, but not expenditure of ARVO funds. ARVO receives a portion of the organization's registration income.

Cosponsorship (may include ARVO funding): Program committee must include ARVO members, and the ARVO Professional Development and Education Committee must approve the topic, program overview and objectives. ARVO lends its name/logo to the other organization and provides promotional materials, complimentary advertising in ARVO publications, and complimentary exhibit space at the ARVO Annual Meeting. ARVO provides staff time, and possibly start-up funds, host's event information on the ARVO website and provides complimentary one-time use of member postal mailing list. ARVO may also administer abstract submissions and registration. ARVO receives a portion of the meeting's registration income.

Financial support

ARVO may be able to provide limited funding-only support for appropriate groups, activities and events.

Criteria

ARVO will evaluate requests for collaboration in terms of potential impact and alignment with the Association's mission, availability of funding, strategic goals and overall benefit to members and the eye and vision community.

Questions to be considered:

1. What is the partner organization's mission? Are there elements in common with ARVO's mission or strategic goals?
2. Does the specific initiative align with any of ARVO's strategic goals or areas of activity?
3. Is the request from the government (NIH/NEI, DOD, FDA, outside the U.S.)?
4. Who is the primary audience for the activity? How large is it?
5. Is there an overlap in audience/membership? If yes, how great is the overlap and what segment of the ARVO membership is involved? If no, are potential ARVO members among this audience?
6. Is there scientific educational content involved? Will ARVO have the opportunity to participate in programming or review this content?
7. Does it complement or compete with our activities?
8. What are the mutual benefits of the requested activity for the requester and for ARVO? Would ARVO receive unique exposure as a result of this activity? Are there tangible resources or benefits the Association or our members could gain?
9. Is the requester providing a means to help us measure success or impact?

Proposal and review

Proposals must be submitted using the Collaboration Request Form at least 9 months before the meeting or activity takes place. Notification of proposal status will be sent to the submitter 4 - 6 weeks after submission. If accepted, an agreement may be executed to define roles and responsibilities and to define financial arrangements, if applicable.

This Commercial Relationships Policy ("Policy") establishes the reporting procedures for financial relationships of journal authors and anyone in a position to influence the content of an ARVO meeting, conference, or other educational activity including but not limited to all program committee members, presenters, panelists, moderators, activity planners, organizers, directors, and compliance staff. The Policy is intended to promote transparency related to relevant financial relationships and ensure compliance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education.

Rationale for Disclosure

Bias in research, presentation and publication can arise from various forms of self-interest. The desire for professional recognition is inherent in academic activity, often with the indirect fringe benefits of increased stature and authority, academic appointment or promotion, more patient referrals, higher income, more travel, or other perquisites. These potential rewards for academic success can be strong sources of bias. They are omnipresent and should not be overlooked or excused, however intangible they may be.

More tangible financial benefits can also accrue to the First Author or Co-author in some cases. The Board of Trustees believes that financial relationships should not prevent presentation or publication, but that the audience is entitled to know that relationships exist if they are relevant to the subject matter being presented. Therefore, authors of abstracts, articles and other communications published in ARVO journals, as well as presenters at the ARVO meeting (including poster sessions) and other educational activities directly provided or jointly provided by ARVO are required to provide disclosure of financial relationships pursuant to this Policy. Procedures to identify and mitigate relevant financial relationships are also employed for accredited continuing education (CE) activities, pursuant to ARVO's CE Policy on Identification and Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships.

Guidelines for ARVO meetings, conferences, and educational activities

All individuals in a position to influence the content of an ARVO meeting, conference or other educational activity must disclose all personal financial relationship(s) of any amount with ACCME-defined ineligible companies that existed within the past 24 months. This group includes but is not limited to all program committee members, presenters, panelists, moderators, activity planners, organizers, directors, and compliance staff. Disclosure must include the name of the ineligible company with which a financial relationship exists and the disclosure code that matches the nature of the financial relationship.

Disclosures will be collected prior to the start of the planning process for each meeting, conference, or other educational activity. Program committee members will disclose annually throughout their term of service. Presenters will disclose prior to content development. Moderators will disclose when accepting the invitation to moderate. Substitute presenters will submit an updated disclosure form as part of the substitution request. Compliance staff and any other individuals covered by the Policy will provide disclosure prior to their participation in the activity planning or delivery.

For accredited continuing education activities, the disclosed financial relationships will be reviewed by compliance staff to assess their relevancy to the presentation (see definition section below). If relevant, the relationship(s) will be disclosed to attendees/learners and compliance staff will work with the presenters to mitigate any potential conflicts of interests resulting from the relevant relationships.

Relevant financial relationships will be communicated to attendees and education participants in advance of the start of the activity and be available within the program materials, website and/or mobile app. 

Additional guidelines for Annual Meeting abstracts

For submitted abstracts, which may become accredited scientific presentations at the Annual Meeting, the First Author is usually the presenter, so they are required to disclose all financial relationships.

In addition, it is the responsibility of the First Author of an abstract to obtain and submit financial relationship disclosures for each co-author before the abstract can be submitted. Co-author disclosures should only include those relevant to the abstract. Co-authors that are asked to serve as a substitute presenter will be required to update their disclosures to include all financial relationships with ACCME-defined ineligible companies before the substitution request will be processed.

Compliance staff will prepare a disclosure slide for each accredited session that displays the relevant financial relationships for each presenter and moderator assigned to the session. This disclosure will include the name of the ineligible company(ies) and the associated disclosure code(s). Presenters and moderators are to state orally their relevant relationships prior to the start of the session or their presentation/presentation recording, as appropriate. For poster presentations, staff will include a list of the submitted disclosures with the poster abstract.

Guidelines for ARVO journal authors

For ARVO journals, it is the responsibility of the First/Corresponding author to include a list of financial relationships relevant to the abstract, manuscript or other submission for all authors at the time of submission.

Oversight

Compliance with the Policy for all ARVO meetings, conferences, and other education activities and oversight of the procedures to identify and mitigate relevant financial relationships for accredited continuing education (CE) activities is managed by the Continuing Medical Education (CME) Committee on behalf of the Board of Trustees.

Compliance with the Policy within ARVO journals is managed by each journal’s editorial board and editor-in-chief on behalf of the Board of Trustees.

Breach of policy

Conformity with this Policy is required without exception. For meetings, conferences, and educational activities, noncompliance will result in the removal of the individual from any role that could potentially influence the content of the activity, such as serving on a program or planning committee or presenting at the activity. For journal submissions and publications, noncompliance will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. Any attendee of an educational activity or reader of a journal publication may report an actual or potential breach of this policy by contacting Education Staff, education@arvo.org or Journal Staff, journals@arvo.org, as applicable. Reports will be kept confidential and investigated promptly.

Definitions

Ineligible company
The ACCME defines an ineligible company as those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

Financial Relationships
Financial relationships are those relationships in which the individual receives a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honoraria, ownership interest (e.g., stocks, stock options or other ownership interest, excluding diversified mutual funds), or other financial benefit (any amount). Financial benefits are usually associated with roles such as employment/owner, management position, independent contractor (including contracted research), consulting, speaking and teaching, membership on advisory committees or review panels, board membership, and other activities from which remuneration is received, or expected.

Relevant Financial Relationships
Relevant financial relationships are financial relationships in any amount with an ineligible company which occurred in the 24-month period preceding the time that the individual was asked to assume a role influencing or controlling content of the accredited CE activity, and the content of the publication or educational activity is related to the products of an ineligible company with which the individual has a financial relationship.

Disclosure Codes Definitions

Financial Relationship Disclosure Code Definitions
C (Consultant/Contractor) Indicates you are a consultant or independent contractor (including contracted research) for an ACCME-defined ineligible company.

E (Employment) Indicates you are an employee of an ACCME-defined ineligible company.

F (Financial Support) Indicates financial support received from an ACCME-defined ineligible company, in the form of research funding (even if the institution receives the research grant and manages the funds), grants, research materials or in-kind services (e.g., sample analysis).

I (Personal Financial Interest) Indicates you are an investor in a company or competing company, including an ACCME-defined ineligible company, other than through a mutual or retirement fund.

N (No Financial Relationship) Indicates there is no financial relationship to disclose.

O (Owner/Co-Owner/Founder/Co-Founder): Indicates you are an owner, co-owner, founder and/or co-founder of an ACCME-defined ineligible company.

P (Patent) Indicates you are an inventor/developer designated on a patent, patent application, copyright, or trade secret, whether the patent, copyright, etc. is presently licensed or otherwise commercialized, or could be in competition with the technology described.

R (Recipient) Indicates you have received gifts, honoraria, travel reimbursement, patent royalties, or any other financial compensation in any amount from an ACCME-defined ineligible company.

S (non-remunerative) Indicates you have position(s) of influence such as officer, board member, trustee, spokesperson, etc.

Approved: Board of Trustees May 2, 1991
Revised and Approved: Board of Trustees, May 7, 1992
Revised and Approved: Board of Trustees, April 30, 1994
Revised and Approved: Board of Trustees, May 9, 1998
Revised and Approved: Board of Trustees, May 4, 2000
Revised and Approved: Board of Trustees, June 22, 2006
Revised and Approved: Board of Trustees, April 30, 2008
Revised and Approved: Board of Trustees, June 23, 2009
Revised and Approved: Board of Trustees, June 9, 2011
Revised and Approved: Board of Trustees, April 13, 2015
Revised and Approved: Board of Trustees, Oct. 16, 2019
Revised and Approved: Board of Trustees, Sept. 17, 2021

The ARVO Corporate Support Policy is designed to develop or improve activities and programs for the eye and vision community which is consistent with ARVO’s stated mission and Strategic Plan. The goal is to obtain financial support from industry, individuals and organizations for development of programs, products and services supporting the eye and vision research community.

Opportunities for corporate support include:

• ARVO Annual Meeting and other ARVO sponsored or co-sponsored meetings
• Meeting publications, both print and electronic
• Websites
• and other ARVO activities

with the following stipulations.

Definition of Corporate Support

A financial or in-kind contribution to ARVO or AFER (ARVO Foundation for Eye Research) with no prerequisite conditions, by any corporation or organization, either for-profit or not-for-profit, which provides support for specific ARVO activities or programs, including but not limited to education, research, advocacy, or awareness of ARVO’s stated mission.

Corporate Support Criteria

• ARVO does not endorse any particular product, service or idea. Any corporate support statement, product or agreement implying an endorsement by ARVO will not be accepted.
• Corporate support must be relevant to the ARVO membership and acceptance of a proposal is at the discretion of the Executive Vice President, Executive Director, and the Chief Meetings Officer, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer.
• ARVO reserves the right to reject any corporate support deemed inappropriate to the mission of ARVO.
• ARVO reserves the right-of-first-refusal to the previous year’s supporter of a product, service or in-kind service with an agreement deadline to be established at ARVO’s sole discretion. Support of any exclusive support product, such as the lanyard, tote-bag or Program Summary Book, for more than three consecutive years is not advisable. After three years the product should be opened to all interested participants.
• When a corporate point system is established, considerations of offers by supporters for products, services, advertising and booth assignments will be considered based on accumulated points.
• An agreement or reservation form for payment of appropriate fees and acceptance of appropriate terms and conditions must be signed by both parties.
• Commercial support for educational programs and/or presentations for which CME credit is offered requires a letter of agreement between ARVO and the commercial supporter assuring compliance with current ACCME Standards for Commercial Support.
• Appropriate recognition of corporate contributions will be determined at the sole discretion of ARVO and will not include reference to specific products. Reference to specific products is reserved for advertising opportunities.
• ARVO accepts funds or royalties only if acceptance does not pose a conflict of interest and in no way impacts the objectivity of the Association, its members, officers or employees.
• The ARVO name, insignia or logotype may not be used by any corporate supporter or exhibitor for any purpose unless permission is given in advance by ARVO. When seeking permission for use of ARVO’s logo a sample illustrating the proposed use must be submitted to the Chief Marketing & Communications Officer.
• Corporate Supporters of ARVO are strongly encouraged to exhibit at the ARVO Annual Meeting and other ARVO meetings where exhibits are offered.
• ARVO recognizes supporters’ needs to promote specific products. Product-specific logos are permitted on bus signage, meeting giveaways, signage, (either print or electronic), and other approved items, all of which are considered advertising opportunities.
• Product logos may not be displayed on educational materials, educational hand outs, slides, name tags or in any materials or media for which CME credits are offered.
• For items on which a product logo is acceptable, the ARVO logo will be included with the corporate logo and any product logo, unless the ARVO logo is already prominently displayed for that venue; for example, on bus wraps and at social events.
• ARVO retains editorial rights and control over any information or product produced as part of any corporate support agreement. All intellectual property remains the sole property of ARVO unless the ARVO Board of Trustees has approved an agreement to the contrary. In every case, all materials, in all formats and media, prepared by the corporate supporter must be submitted to ARVO for written approval prior to release.
• The ARVO Board of Trustees reserves the right to amend this policy without public notification.

Approved: ARVO Board of Trustees, June 22, 2006 
Revised and Approved: ARVO Board of Trustees, April 26, 2008 
Revised and Approved: ARVO Board of Trustees, November 6, 2008

Adopted by the 18th WMA General Assembly, Helsinki, Finland, June 1964, and amended by the:
29th WMA General Assembly, Tokyo, Japan, October 1975
35th WMA General Assembly, Venice, Italy, October 1983
41st WMA General Assembly, Hong Kong, September 1989
48th WMA General Assembly, Somerset West, Republic of South Africa, October 1996
52nd WMA General Assembly, Edinburgh, Scotland, October 2000
53th WMA General Assembly, Washington 2002 (Note of Clarification on paragraph 29 added)
55th WMA General Assembly, Tokyo 2004 (Note of Clarification on Paragraph 30 added)
59th WMA General Assembly, Seoul, October 2008
64th WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013


       Preamble 

1. The World Medical Association (WMA) has developed the Declaration of Helsinki as a statement of ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects, including research on identifiable human material and data.
   
   The Declaration is intended to be read as a whole and each of its constituent paragraphs should be applied with consideration of all other relevant paragraphs.
2. Consistent with the mandate of the WMA, the Declaration is addressed primarily to physicians. The WMA encourages others who are involved in medical research involving human subjects to adopt these principles.  
   
   General Principles
3. The Declaration of Geneva of the WMA binds the physician with the words, “The health of my patient will be my first consideration,” and the International Code of Medical Ethics declares that, “A physician shall act in the patient's best interest when providing medical care."
4. It is the duty of the physician to promote and safeguard the health, well-being and rights of patients, including those who are involved in medical research. The physician's knowledge and conscience are dedicated to the fulfilment of this duty.
5. Medical progress is based on research that ultimately must include studies involving human subjects.
6. The primary purpose of medical research involving human subjects is to understand the causes, development and effects of diseases and improve preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic interventions (methods, procedures and treatments). Even the best proven interventions must be evaluated continually through research for their safety, effectiveness, efficiency, accessibility and quality.
7. Medical research is subject to ethical standards that promote and ensure respect for all human subjects and protect their health and rights.
8. While the primary purpose of medical research is to generate new knowledge, this goal can never take precedence over the rights and interests of individual research subjects.
9. It is the duty of physicians who are involved in medical research to protect the life, health, dignity, integrity, right to self-determination, privacy, and confidentiality of personal information of research subjects. The responsibility for the protection of research subjects must always rest with the physician or other health care professionals and never with the research subjects, even though they have given consent.
10. Physicians must consider the ethical, legal and regulatory norms and standards for research involving human subjects in their own countries as well as applicable international norms and standards. No national or international ethical, legal or regulatory requirement should reduce or eliminate any of the protections for research subjects set forth in this Declaration.
11. Medical research should be conducted in a manner that minimises possible harm to the environment.
12. Medical research involving human subjects must be conducted only by individuals with the appropriate ethics and scientific education, training and qualifications. Research on patients or healthy volunteers requires the supervision of a competent and appropriately qualified physician or other health care professional.
13. Groups that are underrepresented in medical research should be provided appropriate access to participation in research.
14. Physicians who combine medical research with medical care should involve their patients in research only to the extent that this is justified by its potential preventive, diagnostic or therapeutic value and if the physician has good reason to believe that participation in the research study will not adversely affect the health of the patients who serve as research subjects.
15. Appropriate compensation and treatment for subjects who are harmed as a result of participating in research must be ensured. 
    
    Risks, Burdens and Benefits
16. In medical practice and in medical research, most interventions involve risks and burdens.
    
    Medical research involving human subjects may only be conducted if the importance of the objective outweighs the risks and burdens to the research subjects.
17. All medical research involving human subjects must be preceded by careful assessment of predictable risks and burdens to the individuals and groups involved in the research in comparison with foreseeable benefits to them and to other individuals or groups affected by the condition under investigation.
    
    Measures to minimise the risks must be implemented. The risks must be continuously monitored, assessed and documented by the researcher.
18. Physicians may not be involved in a research study involving human subjects unless they are confident that the risks have been adequately assessed and can be satisfactorily managed.
    
    When the risks are found to outweigh the potential benefits or when there is conclusive proof of definitive outcomes, physicians must assess whether to continue, modify or immediately stop the study. 
    
    Vulnerable Groups and Individuals
19. Some groups and individuals are particularly vulnerable and may have an increased likelihood of being wronged or of incurring additional harm.
    
    All vulnerable groups and individuals should receive specifically considered protection.
20. Medical research with a vulnerable group is only justified if the research is responsive to the health needs or priorities of this group and the research cannot be carried out in a non-vulnerable group. In addition, this group should stand to benefit from the knowledge, practices or interventions that result from the research. 
    
    Scientific Requirements and Research Protocols
21. Medical research involving human subjects must conform to generally accepted scientific principles, be based on a thorough knowledge of the scientific literature, other relevant sources of information, and adequate laboratory and, as appropriate, animal experimentation. The welfare of animals used for research must be respected.
22. The design and performance of each research study involving human subjects must be clearly described and justified in a research protocol.
    
    The protocol should contain a statement of the ethical considerations involved and should indicate how the principles in this Declaration have been addressed. The protocol should include information regarding funding, sponsors, institutional affiliations, potential conflicts of interest, incentives for subjects and information regarding provisions for treating and/or compensating subjects who are harmed as a consequence of participation in the research study.
    
    In clinical trials, the protocol must also describe appropriate arrangements for post-trial provisions. 
    
    Research Ethics Committees
23. The research protocol must be submitted for consideration, comment, guidance and approval to the concerned research ethics committee before the study begins. This committee must be transparent in its functioning, must be independent of the researcher, the sponsor and any other undue influence and must be duly qualified. It must take into consideration the laws and regulations of the country or countries in which the research is to be performed as well as applicable international norms and standards but these must not be allowed to reduce or eliminate any of the protections for research subjects set forth in this Declaration. 
    
    The committee must have the right to monitor ongoing studies. The researcher must provide monitoring information to the committee, especially information about any serious adverse events. No amendment to the protocol may be made without consideration and approval by the committee. After the end of the study, the researchers must submit a final report to the committee containing a summary of the study’s findings and conclusions. 
    
    Privacy and Confidentiality
24. Every precaution must be taken to protect the privacy of research subjects and the confidentiality of their personal information. 
    
    Informed Consent
25. Participation by individuals capable of giving informed consent as subjects in medical research must be voluntary. Although it may be appropriate to consult family members or community leaders, no individual capable of giving informed consent may be enrolled in a research study unless he or she freely agrees.
26. In medical research involving human subjects capable of giving informed consent, each potential subject must be adequately informed of the aims, methods, sources of funding, any possible conflicts of interest, institutional affiliations of the researcher, the anticipated benefits and potential risks of the study and the discomfort it may entail, post-study provisions and any other relevant aspects of the study. The potential subject must be informed of the right to refuse to participate in the study or to withdraw consent to participate at any time without reprisal. Special attention should be given to the specific information needs of individual potential subjects as well as to the methods used to deliver the information.
    
    After ensuring that the potential subject has understood the information, the physician or another appropriately qualified individual must then seek the potential subject’s freely-given informed consent, preferably in writing. If the consent cannot be expressed in writing, the non-written consent must be formally documented and witnessed.
    
    All medical research subjects should be given the option of being informed about the general outcome and results of the study.
27. When seeking informed consent for participation in a research study the physician must be particularly cautious if the potential subject is in a dependent relationship with the physician or may consent under duress. In such situations the informed consent must be sought by an appropriately qualified individual who is completely independent of this relationship.
28. For a potential research subject who is incapable of giving informed consent, the physician must seek informed consent from the legally authorised representative. These individuals must not be included in a research study that has no likelihood of benefit for them unless it is intended to promote the health of the group represented by the potential subject, the research cannot instead be performed with persons capable of providing informed consent, and the research entails only minimal risk and minimal burden.
29. When a potential research subject who is deemed incapable of giving informed consent is able to give assent to decisions about participation in research, the physician must seek that assent in addition to the consent of the legally authorised representative. The potential subject’s dissent should be respected.
30. Research involving subjects who are physically or mentally incapable of giving consent, for example, unconscious patients, may be done only if the physical or mental condition that prevents giving informed consent is a necessary characteristic of the research group. In such circumstances the physician must seek informed consent from the legally authorised representative. If no such representative is available and if the research cannot be delayed, the study may proceed without informed consent provided that the specific reasons for involving subjects with a condition that renders them unable to give informed consent have been stated in the research protocol and the study has been approved by a research ethics committee. Consent to remain in the research must be obtained as soon as possible from the subject or a legally authorised representative.
31. The physician must fully inform the patient which aspects of their care are related to the research. The refusal of a patient to participate in a study or the patient’s decision to withdraw from the study must never adversely affect the patient-physician relationship.
32. For medical research using identifiable human material or data, such as research on material or data contained in biobanks or similar repositories, physicians must seek informed consent for its collection, storage and/or reuse. There may be exceptional situations where consent would be impossible or impracticable to obtain for such research. In such situations the research may be done only after consideration and approval of a research ethics committee. 
    
    Use of Placebo
33. The benefits, risks, burdens and effectiveness of a new intervention must be tested against those of the best proven intervention(s), except in the following circumstances:
    
    Where no proven intervention exists, the use of placebo, or no intervention, is acceptable; or
    
    Where for compelling and scientifically sound methodological reasons the use of any intervention less effective than the best proven one, the use of placebo, or no intervention is necessary to determine the efficacy or safety of an intervention
    
    and the patients who receive any intervention less effective than the best proven one, placebo, or no intervention will not be subject to additional risks of serious or irreversible harm as a result of not receiving the best proven intervention. 
    
    Extreme care must be taken to avoid abuse of this option. 
    
    Post-Trial Provisions
34. In advance of a clinical trial, sponsors, researchers and host country governments should make provisions for post-trial access for all participants who still need an intervention identified as beneficial in the trial. This information must also be disclosed to participants during the informed consent process. 
    
    Research Registration and Publication and Dissemination of Results
35. Every research study involving human subjects must be registered in a publicly accessible database before recruitment of the first subject.
36. Researchers, authors, sponsors, editors and publishers all have ethical obligations with regard to the publication and dissemination of the results of research. Researchers have a duty to make publicly available the results of their research on human subjects and are accountable for the completeness and accuracy of their reports. All parties should adhere to accepted guidelines for ethical reporting. Negative and inconclusive as well as positive results must be published or otherwise made publicly available. Sources of funding, institutional affiliations and conflicts of interest must be declared in the publication. Reports of research not in accordance with the principles of this Declaration should not be accepted for publication. 
    
    Unproven Interventions in Clinical Practice
37. In the treatment of an individual patient, where proven interventions do not exist or other known interventions have been ineffective, the physician, after seeking expert advice, with informed consent from the patient or a legally authorised representative, may use an unproven intervention if in the physician's judgement it offers hope of saving life, re-establishing health or alleviating suffering. This intervention should subsequently be made the object of research, designed to evaluate its safety and efficacy. In all cases, new information must be recorded and, where appropriate, made publicly available.

Copyright, World Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

The logos of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology are ARVO trademarks and may only be used by those who have received explicit prior permission from ARVO for a specific use. This permission is usually granted based on a shared initiative or special arrangement. For questions and requests for approval, please contact comms@arvo.org. 

The ARVO logo must be used in its entirety and not be altered in any way (including proportion, color, element, type); and never tilted, skewed, expanded, condensed or placed inside a shape.

The ARVO logo represents and identifies the Association and its activities. It is essential that the logo be used properly to ensure its continued value to the Association and its members. Therefore, ARVO reserves the right to immediately terminate the use of its logo to anyone at any time. Legal action can be taken against anyone who uses the ARVO logo in violation of the policy.

Last updated March 2021

Mission

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is an international organization comprised of clinicians and researchers whose goal is to advance worldwide research into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders.

Application

The ARVO Professional Code of Conduct (PCC) applies to all members of ARVO in all of its membership categories.

ARVO provides a forum for communication, collaboration and the exchange of research and ideas between its members around the globe. To be part of our community of researchers and clinician scientists requires individuals to acknowledge and support our values and guiding principles, and to exhibit behaviors in accordance with those values and guiding principles at all times in connection with ARVO and its events and programs.

Values and Guiding Principles

The values and guiding principles are set forth by the ARVO Board of Trustees, to be agreed upon at the time of applying for and renewing ARVO membership. Guiding principles are meant to articulate ARVO's expectations for the professional and personal behavior of its members during all ARVO-associated activities, programs and events, including all forms of communication and scientific interaction that are mediated through its meetings, online activities and its scientific journals. ARVO's PCC exists to articulate values and expectations regarding the professional conduct of ARVO members at all times.

The ARVO PCC is intended to be aspirational in nature; however, in particular circumstances, ARVO, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to take remedial action based on a member's violation of the PCC.

Values

Diversity and Cultural Sensitivity — Accept and respect differences across and within cultures. 

Respect — Give due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights and inherent dignity of all people at all times, ensuring a healthy and secure environment for networking, teaching, learning and growth.

Accountability — Hold yourself personally and professionally responsible for your actions.

Integrity — Act in an honest, fair, forthright and responsible manner. 

Innovation — Seek to initiate and advance new knowledge and new discoveries without prejudice.

Advocacy — Promote, champion and advance the pursuit of eye and vision research.

ARVO statement for the use of animals in ophthalmic and vision research

Cell therapy research

Research on cell-based therapies offers new avenues for the development of therapeutic strategies for diseases in which damage to or loss of particular types of cells in the eye causes vision loss. The cells impaired or lost in these diseases often cannot be fixed or replaced, and many of these diseases are currently incurable. The development of therapies involving transplantation of stem cells or other cell types could lead to the rescue of dysfunctional cells or possibly the replacement of lost cells including but not limited to: corneal endothelium in corneal dystrophies, trabecular meshwork cells and retinal ganglion cells in glaucoma, retinal photoreceptors and pigment epithelium in inherited retinal degenerations and age-related macular degeneration, lacrimal gland cells in dry eye disease, and retinal and choroidal capillary endothelium in diseases such as diabetic retinopathy.

Collectively, these diseases currently account for a large portion of irreversible vision loss in both developed and developing nations. Existing therapies for them have shortcomings including suboptimal efficacy, risk of side effects, and high cost. Since many of these conditions develop or become more severe with age, the magnitude of the problem will increase as we all live longer.

Gene therapy research

Gene therapies are another group of promising treatment strategies. Based on advances in molecular genetics including the sequencing of the human genome during the last half century, gene therapies aim to cure inherited diseases by addressing their underlying genetic cause. Approaches to achieve this goal include gene augmentation therapy, in which a normal copy of the affected gene is added to ocular cells, often via use of a viral delivery vector. Genome editing, the goal of which is to correct the causative mutations in endogenous genes in situ, is another promising approach to treat genetic diseases.

Any monogenic blinding disease for which the causative genetic mutations are known has the potential to be effectively treated by gene therapy, including inherited retinal degenerations, such as those traditionally known as retinitis pigmentosa and Leber congential amaurosis. Patients with common complex diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma, for which genetic variants increase the risk of disease, may also benefit from gene therapies in the future.

Potential benefits and risks

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) strongly supports technological developments and policies that enable and encourage all facets of cell and gene therapy research.

Cell and gene therapies are broadly used in biomedical research, including in clinical trials. However, the long-term safety and efficacy of these therapies remain to be fully explored. Additional research is needed for more of these potential therapies to become a reality. For example, we need to determine the specific mechanisms that control the differentiation of stem cells into particular cell types and the mechanisms by which they exchange material with host cells or integrate into the damaged eye. The safety and specificity of gene therapy approaches, including genome editing, needs to be further explored via studies of vector specificity and off-target effects. Improving the safety and efficiency of all of these methods will be valuable for delivering successful treatments to eye tissues.

Eye and vision scientists have performed lab-based translational research on gene and cell therapies, the results of which have led to many preclinical and clinical studies of these approaches for the treatment of ocular diseases. The December 2017 FDA approval of a gene augmentation therapy for one genetic form of inherited retinal degeneration is encouraging, and highlights the importance of these studies for development of new treatments that may help patients in the near future. However, currently there are no FDA-approved cell therapies and other gene therapies are still in the pre-clinical or clinical trial stages. Hence, patients and families should be aware that all clinical trials should be performed only in clinical research facilities that adhere to good clinical practice (GCP) guidelines and Institutional Review Board oversight. No fees should be requested for patients to participate except co-pays on “standard care” aspects of the patient's care. Study consent forms and related materials should be provided in formats that patients with visual impairment can access using assistive devices as required. Should patients consider enrolling into a stem cell or gene therapy research trial, patients and their families should fully understand the risks and possible benefits, and have sufficient time to consider these and to discuss the study with family members and other medical professionals before making a decision.

Approved: ARVO Board of Trustees – April 28, 2018

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, the world's largest community of eye and vision researchers, is committed to diversity and open scientific exchange.

Science is at its best when scientists work collaboratively without restrictions or limitations. ARVO advocates for open and honest exchange among scientists regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability or age and free from national or international constraints.

As an international organization, ARVO believes that for society to derive the maximum benefits from science, it is essential that all scientists freely engage with the global scientific community. We support our members in this by creating opportunities for researchers to come together to discuss topics of mutual interest and by building networks by which they can communicate. It is incumbent upon ARVO to play a proactive role ensuring that diverse voices and perspectives have a place in all forms of scientific exchange. Promoting global interactions between scientists, and the diversity that is gained therein, is critical to achieving our mission of advancing the understanding of the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders.

Diversity Considerations for ARVO Committees (video)

Background

The ARVO Board of Trustees has recognized that Annual Meeting attendees seek to maximize their networking opportunities and fulfill their professional responsibilities while at a location with so many of their colleagues. To accomplish these goals ARVO makes space available in ARVO-controlled meeting facilities (convention center or block hotels) for events which do not compete or conflict with ARVO sessions.

Definition of Ancillary Events

Ancillary Events are non-ARVO-sponsored special group events held in conjunction with the ARVO Annual Meeting. Ancillary Events are not planned or sponsored by ARVO. Examples of ancillary events include:

• Business Meetings: Meetings of non-commercial editorial boards, non-profit organization boards, or other non-ARVO committees/working groups, study groups, etc.
• Exhibitor Internal Meetings: Meetings for ARVO exhibitor's corporate personnel: ARVO exhibitor hospitality suites
• Investigator Meetings: Meetings for investigators of ongoing research
• Social Events: Receptions, dinners, alumni events, reunions and specialty groups where there is no educational/scientific program presented

Ancillary Events may not include a scientific program with presentations, posters or lectures, nor include marketing demonstrations or other sales efforts.

All participants in Ancillary Events must be registered for the Annual Meeting.

Scheduling of Ancillary Events

Events with more than 15 attendees may not be scheduled in conflict with ARVO sessions.

Event Requests

• Event requests must be made on official forms and approved by ARVO, regardless of the location of the event. Fees vary based on the type of event and timing of the request. See current year ARVO Annual Meeting website for details.
• Event organizers must be associated with ARVO and/or the eye and vision research community. Events should be planned and scheduled in support of the ARVO Annual Meeting.
• Commercial organizers of Events must be supporters of the ARVO Annual Meeting at the value of not less than the cost of an inside 10x10 booth. Commercial event organizers who are not exhibitors will incur additional service charges for multiple events.
• All room charges and admin fees must be paid promptly and non-payment may result in action by ARVO.
• The use of the ARVO logos, trademark or name in conjunction with publicity must be pre-approved. ARVO may not be represented as cosponsoring an event unless a formal request has been submitted to and approved by ARVO.
• Conducting demonstrations and/or displays of commercial products will not be permitted during Events.
• Promotional materials must be approved by, and coordinated with, ARVO when placed in ARVO-controlled meeting facilities. Each sign must state that “This event is not organized or sponsored by ARVO.” Organizers must remove any meeting-related materials from their assigned rooms at the conclusion of the event.
• Meeting space will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
• ARVO will not endorse or financially support scientific meetings other than those organized or cosponsored by ARVO.

Breach of Policy

Organizers must adhere to the responsibilities outlined in the policy and on the official forms to avoid cancellation of the activity. Failure to adhere to the policy may result in refusal to allow company or group the opportunity to exhibit or hold symposia, meetings or other events in ARVO-controlled meeting facilities in current year or a specified number of future years.

Revised and Approved: ARVO Board of Trustees, August 2024

Background

The ARVO Board of Trustees has recognized that Annual Meeting attendees seek to maximize their educational opportunities and fulfill their professional responsibilities while at a location with so many of their colleagues.

Definition of Satellite Symposia

Satellite Symposia are non-ARVO-sponsored scientific/educational programs that offer educational content through presentations, lectures, posters, etc. including CME and non-CME-accredited activities. ARVO Annual Meeting attendees may attend Satellite Symposia, but Satellite Symposia are not planned or sponsored by ARVO.

Scheduling of Satellite Symposia

Satellite Symposia are non-ARVO-sponsored scientific/educational programs that offer educational content through presentations, lectures, posters, etc. including CME and non-CME-accredited activities. ARVO Annual Meeting attendees may attend Satellite Symposia, but Satellite Symposia are not planned or sponsored by ARVO.

General Guidelines

• Requests for Satellite Symposia must be made through the ARVO Satellite Symposia request form, available by September 1 of the year preceding the Annual Meeting.
• There is a fee to organize a Satellite Symposium in conjunction with the ARVO Annual Meeting. The request will be forwarded to a hotel once the fee has been paid.
• Satellite Symposia should be held in hotels that are part of the official ARVO housing block.
• Satellite Symposia will not be listed in Annual Meeting-related publications.
• ARVO will not endorse or financially support scientific meetings other than those organized or cosponsored by ARVO.

Breach of Policy

Failure to adhere to the policy may result in refusal to allow a company or group the opportunity to exhibit or hold symposia, meetings, or other events in ARVO-controlled meeting facilities in current year or a specified number of future years

Revised and Approved: ARVO Board of Trustees, August 2024

In accordance with our culture of academic integrity and respecting the rights of copyright owners, recording by any means including, but not limited to photographing, audiotaping, videotaping, screen capturing, and/or screen recording of any presentations or sessions at or during any ARVO Meeting is only allowed when a poster or presentation displays the icon indicating photography/recording of the material is permitted.

Presenters may display an icon to indicate to the audience whether or not photography/recording of the poster or presentation is permitted. Presenters have been provided with a digital graphic image to incorporate into their slides. Printed images are available to affix to posters or displays. If no icon or image is attached to a poster or paper slide, the default assumption is “No photography is allowed”.

All attendees are expected to adhere to this policy. Violators of the policy risk confiscation of their equipment and/or dismissal from the Meeting as deemed appropriate by ARVO.

Photography guidelines and best practices

Photography by individuals for personal use and for social media is allowed at social events, in the Exhibit Hall and public spaces throughout ARVO Meetings is permitted. Additional uses of photography at ARVO Meetings are permitted as of October 2024 with the following guidelines:

1. Photography for personal and social media use is permitted throughout ARVO meetings, including paper and poster sessions, lectures and keynotes.
2. Attendees are expected to honor the preference of any presenter who has indicated “no photo.” ARVO will enforce this expectation. If no icon or image is attached to a poster or paper slide, the default assumption is “No photography is allowed”.
3. The presenter must be identified by name when a photograph of the presenter, presenter’s slides or poster is shared on social media or elsewhere.
4. Attendees must be respectful and considerate of others. Do not use flash, block attendees' view of presenters when capturing photos, or otherwise disrupt presentations.
5. Photographs of individuals under 18 years of age without explicit verbal or written permission of a parent or guardian are strictly prohibited.
6. Because attendees often come in and out of the room during sessions, we recommend that presenters affix the photo image provided by ARVO on all slides to ensure that attendees are aware of the author’s preference.

Download Do not photograph icon

Download Photography allowed icon

Questions about this policy can be directed to media@arvo.org.

Last updated October 2024

Embargo policy

Press releases or stories on information presented at the ARVO Annual Meeting may not be released or published until the conclusion of the presentation. The only exception to this is if an author has submitted the abstract to a journal, as allowed in the Abstract Unpublished Work Policy, and it is published prior to the ARVO Annual Meeting.

ARVO holds copyright on all abstracts accepted for presentation at the ARVO Annual Meeting. We encourage the promotion of research presented at our Annual Meeting if it conforms to the following guidelines:

• Companies that find it necessary or choose to distribute abstract-related communications are required to provide the text of press releases or other communications to ARVO for review prior to distribution. Please send draft releases to media@arvo.org.
• ARVO does not share its news release distribution list or its list of journalist attendees with outside organizations.
• ARVO Annual Meeting online program materials and publications aim to promote vision research and scientific discourse for educational purposes. ARVO accepts no responsibility for any products, presentations, opinions, statements or positions expressed; and inclusion of such material within the Meeting, the publications or posted online does not constitute an endorsement by ARVO.
• ARVO does not undertake responsibility for providing updated information relating to material presented in abstracts.
• ARVO requests that after abstracts have been accepted for presentation at the Annual Meeting, related communications that are required to fulfill Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or other regulations be released only when abstracts are made publicly available through our online platform.
• Information contained in such releases is limited to the content of the abstract. Additional information about the study or research to be presented at the ARVO Annual Meeting cannot be included in the press release.
• The abstract cannot be reprinted in its entirety.
• Direct quotations from abstracts are limited to 50 words or fewer. Quotations must contain an attribution to ARVO as follows: 

 © Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology [YEAR].

• Paraphrases of abstract content are acceptable.
• All other press releases are embargoed until the conclusion of the presentation at the ARVO Annual Meeting.

Press credentials

Press credentials are granted to individuals who are on assignment for or employees of a media outlet appropriate to cover the eye and vision research news. Members of the press credentialed to cover the ARVO Annual Meeting have access to ARVO's press room and receive complimentary meeting registration.

ARVO expects that after the Annual Meeting press attendees will provide the association with links or hard copies of their coverage of ARVO’s Annual Meeting. Please send this information to media@arvo.org.    

Eligibility for press credentials

Who is eligible for press registration?   

• Media representatives, including editorial staff/representatives (reporters, writers, editors) of publications including broadcast media, print and electronic newspapers, news services and magazines.
• Freelance science writers
• Internet news outlets (bloggers may be considered)
• Science or medical journals with news sections
• Journalism students

Note: Applicants may be asked to provide additional information for verification, including mastheads or editorial pages and recent bylined articles.

Who is not eligible for press registration?   

• Representatives of public relations, advertising, or marketing firms
• Representatives of corporate public relations, advertising, and marketing departments
• Representatives of financial analysis firms
• Scientists and ARVO members
• Publishers and representatives of advertising, sales or marketing departments of publications or broadcast media
• Representatives of special interest groups

Other policies

• Embargo policy: The research presented at the ARVO Annual Meeting may be proprietary or may have been submitted for publication. The press must seek approval from the presenter(s) before reporting data found in abstracts or heard or seen in paper or poster presentations. Press releases or stories on information presented at the ARVO Annual Meeting may not be released or published until the conclusion of the presentation. Any individual who does not adhere to the Press Policy will be asked to forfeit his or her press credentials at the discretion of the ARVO Marketing and Communications Department.
• Recording/photography (updated as of Oct. 2024): In accordance with our culture of academic integrity and respecting the rights of copyright owners, recording by any means including, but not limited to photographing, audiotaping, videotaping, screen capturing, and/or screen recording of any presentations or sessions at or during any ARVO Meeting is only allowed when a poster or presentation displays the icon indicating photography/recording of the material is permitted. Read more.

• ARVO logo use policy: The logos of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology are ARVO trademarks and may only be used by those who have received explicit prior permission from ARVO for a specific use. This permission is usually granted based on a shared initiative or special arrangement. For questions and requests for approval, please contact comms@arvo.org. 

  The ARVO logo must be used in its entirety and not be altered in any way (including proportion, color, element, type); and never tilted, skewed, expanded, condensed or placed inside a shape.

  The ARVO logo represents and identifies the Association and its activities. It is essential that the logo be used properly to ensure its continued value to the Association and its members. Therefore, ARVO reserves the right to immediately terminate the use of its logo to anyone at any time. Legal action can be taken against anyone who uses the ARVO logo in violation of the policy.

• Distribution lists: ARVO does not share its news release distribution list or its list of journalist attendees with outside organizations.
• Non-ARVO press materials. News releases, press kits or other announcements from industry representatives, public relations firms or communications companies may be emailed to media@arvo.org for possible placement in the Online Press Room. Acceptance of such materials for placement in the Online Press Room is at the sole discretion of the Marketing and Communications Department. ARVO is not responsible for any misrepresentations made in these materials (e.g., stating that a study was presented as part of the Annual Meeting when it was not selected as part of the program).
• Any individuals with a press badge who sells, markets or represents a company for the purpose of obtaining advertising or subscriptions from any registrant or exhibitor will immediately forfeit press credentials for this and all subsequent meetings.
• Press kits are available for members of the working press only; others are advised to visit the ARVO website, for information on the Annual Meeting.
• All fee events (paid courses and social activities) must be paid for by the journalist.
• Display of unapproved information or advertising of any kind in the convention facility or on the grounds, except in exhibit booths, is prohibited. Violation of this policy will result in confiscation and disposal of the material. Individuals who violate this policy will be evicted from the premises.

Approved by the ARVO Board of Trustees July 28, 2009

Accepted abstracts or information to be presented as a paper or poster at the ARVO Annual Meeting must be work that has not been submitted for publication at the time of abstract submission. After abstract submission, an author is at liberty to submit their abstract to a journal for publication consideration.  

Children under 18 years old who are not scientific attendees are permitted at the Meeting without registration when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Please do not leave your children unattended at any time. Parents/guardians who bring children into paper sessions must remove them immediately if they become disruptive. Children are not allowed to accompany parents/guardians in sessions/events where tickets are required or food is provided, unless otherwise noted and a separate ticket has been purchased. Under no circumstances are children permitted in the exhibit/poster hall during set-up or dismantle times.