ARVO Foundation Travel Grants
In 2002, the ARVO Foundation established and awarded its first travel grants. As of 2023, the Foundation has supported travel expenses for over 2,500 young researchers from around the world to report their work at the ARVO Annual Meeting. The Foundation currently offers 38 named travel grants that support over 400 researchers annually.
Travel grants are awarded based on abstracts submitted to the ARVO Annual Meeting. Grants are awarded to the highest scored abstract meeting the travel grant criteria. No special application beyond submitting an abstract is necessary to be considered for a travel grant.
American Macular Degeneration Foundation Travel Grants support two awards annually for a US researcher working in the area of macular degeneration.
Elizabeth Anderson Memorial Travel Grants are in memory of Elizabeth Anderson. Mrs. Robert E. Anderson was always passionate about helping young researchers meet their role models, and these grants continue to provide opportunities to researchers in her name. The recipients must have an abstract reviewed and accepted for presentation by the Biochemistry/Molecular Biology or Retinal Cell Biology Section of ARVO in the areas of inherited retinal degeneration and macular degeneration.
Joanne G. Angle Memorial Travel Grants are in memory of Joanne Angle, who served as the ARVO executive director for 22 years and was instrumental in making ARVO what it is today. Two travel grants are given to young researchers from a developing countries and one is given to a US researcher.
ARVO Foundation Travel Grants are given to US and non-US researchers with high-scoring abstracts that do not qualify for other travel grants.
ARVO Staff Travel Grant is supported by the ARVO staff and given to a researcher with a high-scoring abstract that does not qualify for another travel grant.
Grant Wood Balkema Memorial Travel Grant is in memory of Grant Wood Balkema, PhD, who was an associate professor at Boston College, and recognizes his dedication to undergraduates in biological and biochemical research. This grant is awarded to an undergraduate or junior graduate student.
Robert B. Barlow, Jr. Memorial Travel Grant remembers Robert B. Barlow, Jr., PhD, FARVO, who co-founded the Center for Vision Research at Upstate Medical University. The award supports a trainee whose abstract is submitted to the VN section and is related to the functional analysis of the visual system; studies must involve non-mammalian animal models.
Roger Beuerman Memorial Travel Grant remembers Roger Beuerman, PhD, and supports a researcher whose work is focused on ocular surface or tear film research.
IRCCS-Fondazione G. B. Bietti per lo Studio e la Ricerca in Oftalmologia-ONLUS Travel Grants support researchers who are citizens of Italy.
BrightFocus Foundation Travel Grants support up to twelve awards for early-career researchers whose work pertains to age-related macular degeneration or glaucoma. As part of our commitment to increasing access to training and networking opportunities for researchers from groups underrepresented in the field, half of these awards will be Diversity Travel Grants to support women scientists.
Ramon F. Dacheux II Memorial Travel Grant is in memory of Ramon F. Dacheux II, PhD, who was a professor in the department of ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). This grant is awarded to student researchers conducting basic science research in visual neuroscience.
M. Velma Dobson Memorial Travel Grant is in memory of M. Velma Dobson, PhD, FARVO, who dedicated herself to research on visual development of infants and children. This travel grant recognizes research on visual development of infants and children with or without eye disease.
Eye Research Center Travel Grant supports a researcher who conducts clinical research in the United States and requires IRB (human subjects).
Qais Farjo Memorial Travel Grant is endowed by EyeCRO and Rafal Farjo, PhD in memory of Qais Farjo, MD. This grant supports 15 members-in-training working in translational research.
Foster Ocular Immunology Society Travel Grants support two awards, one for a US researcher and one for a researcher outside the US, who are students, residents or fellows whose abstract pertains to ocular inflammatory disease or uveitis.
Samuel G. Jacobson Memorial Travel Grant was established in memory of Samuel G. Jacobson, MD, PhD, FARVO, a world-renowned pioneer in clinical and translational research for retinal diseases whose work led to the development of numerous retinal-disease treatments. This grant supports researchers whose work is focused on inherited retinal-degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa.
G. M. Jager Memorial Travel Grant is in memory of G. M. Jager, a specialist in retinal eye diseases, who is known for his discovery of the inheritance and retinal characteristics of X-linked retinoschisis. This travel grant recognizes researchers who reside and conduct research in an eastern European country.
Murray and Jeanie Johnstone Travel Grant is awarded to a researcher working in glaucoma.
Karamichos/Utheim Keratoconus Travel Grant is awarded to a researcher whose work is related to the study of keratoconus.
Knights Templar Eye Foundation Travel Grants support US researchers, as well as international researchers from Austria, Brazil, Italy, Portugal, Panama, Romania or the Philippines.
Sarla and Piyush Kothary Memorial Travel Grant remembers Drs. Sarla P. Kothary and Piyush C. Kothary, and supports one female researcher from the US whose work is related to retina research.
Kowa Travel Grant is awarded to a researcher who has conducted research related to glaucoma in Japan.
Kreissig Travel Grant is awarded to two (2) recipients annually — one female and one male — for outstanding engagement in the research of retina or clinical studies on retinal diseases. and The grant was established in 2011 in recognition of Dr. Kreissig’s scientific and clinical contributions as a retinal specialist at the Universities of Tuebingen and Heidelberg and at NY Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell University.
Kreissig and Lincoff Minimal Surgery Travel Grant is awarded to two (2) recipients annually -- one female and one male -- in recognition of oustanding engagement in the research of the retina. Candidates should be from an academic or nonprofit research setting based in Israel (or, if none, the United States or Europe). The grant was endowed in 2021 by Dr. Ingrid Kreissig and Dr. Harvey Lincoff's colleagues in recognition of their exceptional scientific and clinical work in minimal surgery for the repair of retinal detachment.
- Dr. Kreissig and Dr. Lincoff 2011 AAO interview
- Dr. Kreissig Minimal Extraocular Surgery for Retinal Detachment 2019 interview at EURETINA
Alan Laties, MD Memorial Travel Grant was established by his family to honor his contributions to medicine, particularly within the diagnosis and treatment of the hereditary disease, retinitis pigmentosa. This grant is awarded to a US-based candidate with a high-scoring abstract.
Lens and Cataract Travel Grant supports one award annually for a researcher studying an aspect of lens or cataract. The award is open to researchers from any country.
Lions World Vision Institute Foundation Travel Grants support researchers working in the state of Florida. Five awards support researchers doing basic science research related to cornea, retina or cell transplantation or residents or corneal fellows doing cornea research, including clinical work providing it is related to corneal transplantation or eye banking.
Richard Newton Lolley Memorial Travel Grant is in memory of Richard Newton Lolley, PhD, whose contributions to vision research helped establish the biochemical and molecular pathway of cGMP metabolism in the photoreceptor and in our understanding of the importance of the delicate balance of the photoreceptor in health and disease. This grant is awarded to investigators conducting research in the US related to photoreceptor signal transduction pathways.
Friederike Mackensen Memorial Travel Grant is in memory of Friederike Mackensen, MD. One award is given annually to a German female researcher under the age of 40 working in clinical research in ocular immunology.
Robert F. Miller Memorial Travel Grant remembers Robert F. Miller, MD, and supports a reseacher studying visual neuroscience.
NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre Travel Grant recognizes investigators who reside and conduct research in England.
Overseas Chinese Association for Vision and Eye Research (OCAVER) Travel Grant is given to a member of OCAVER who is enrolled full-time as a research assistant or is an undergraduate/postgraduate student at a research university.
David R. Pepperberg Memorial Travel Grant is given in memory of David R. Pepperberg, PhD, FARVO, a beloved vision scientist whose work focused on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of light and dark adaptation in retinal photoreceptors. The award is presented to authors at the career level of earning a doctorate, a medical student or postdoctoral fellow in the area of basic research on photoreceptors and/or novel treatments to prevent retinal degeneration.
Retina Research Foundation/Joseph M. and Eula C. Lawrence Travel Grants honor investigators conducting research in the US on retinal applications.
Gerard A. Lutty, PhD Memorial Travel Grant is in memory of Gerard A. Lutty, PhD, FARVO. It is presented to the best abstract related to the normal or pathological vascular biology of the eye.
Robertson Translational Research Travel Grant supports one award annually to a US-based researcher to identify or develop therapeutics suitable for treating an ocular disease or condition. The recipient must be in training or within four years of terminal training.
Striatech Travel Grant supports one award annually for a researcher working with animal models. The award is open to researchers from any country.
Kazuo Tsubota, MD, PhD Innovation Travel Grants support five awards annually for scientists conducting translational research. The award is open to researchers from any country.
Josh Wallman Memorial Travel Grant is in memory of Josh Wallman, PhD, FARVO. It is presented to the best abstract on experimental myopia or research on the refractive development of the eye from a student or post-doctoral trainee presented through the AP, CL, VI, VN or EY sections.
Women in Eye and Vision Research (WEAVR) Travel Grants honor female investigators. They are supported through funds raised at the annual WEAVR Luncheon.
Gerhard Zinser Memorial Travel Grant is supported by Heidelberg Engineering in memory of the company's late co-founder, Gerhard Zinser. The award is presented to a researcher under age 40 whose abstract is related to imaging techniques.
