Graduate Students & Faculty – American Academy of Optometry

Graduate Students

David and Diane Goss Optometry History Fellowship

Established in 2018, this $1,000 fellowship provides support to an individual pursuing research in optometric history. It enables an optometry history researcher or student’s ability to visit libraries, archives, and museums to further their research.

As a condition of acceptance of the biennial fellowship, the recipient will submit a progress report after one year. The report must be suitable for publication in Hindsight, the Optometric Historical Society’s quarterly publication.

Eligibility and Application

The submission window is open from June and closes in August.

Applicants must be optometrists, optometry students, or individuals outside the field of optometry such as a historian or a librarian. Applicants may be at any stage in their career, from student through retirement.

Applications must include the following:

Cover letter consisting of full contact information including, how the applicant’s degree should appear in reports and/or news items.
Submission of a two-page description of how funds will be used, the opportunity the fellowship will provide, and the impact it will have on the applicant’s career. The maximum time to use award funds is one year from the announcement of the fellowship.
Curriculum vitae of no more than three pages should accompany the application.

Applications should be submitted here.

Review Committee

Applications will be reviewed by a committee of peers. Review results will then be forwarded to the AAOF Programs Approval Committee and AAOF Board of Directors for final approval.

Award Notes

Please note, guidelines for any given program are subject to change by the AAOF and/or the award sponsor. Applicants are reminded to review all information before submitting their materials to ensure all criteria is met.

All award recipients by application/nomination and acceptance of the award agree to allow the AAOF and/or the sponsor of the program to publish their name, image, institution information, and any statement or quote provided by the recipient. These will appear in a variety of media formats that announce and promote the program, including, but not limited to, the AAOF and/or sponsor annual report, website, and annual meeting promotional materials.

Questions

Contact Sarah Kidd, Manager, Awards and Donor Relations if you have any questions about this award.

Jill and George Mertz Fellowship

To be awarded in academic year 2024. The next submission window is December 2023 – April 2024.

This fellowship honors former Foundation President George Mertz and his wife, Jill, and was first awarded in 2013. This biennial award is designed to help clinician-optometrists who display exceptional potential transition into a career which includes research and academic optometry.

This fellowship is awarded for up to two years and is congruent with enrollment in a vision or related biomedical science PhD program. Awardees will receive $15,000 (US dollars) upon beginning their first year of training, and if they demonstrate sufficient success during the initial year (as described within their progress report, see below), they will receive an additional $15,000 (US dollars) upon beginning their second year of training.

Note, awardees may receive the fellowship for up to one successive, two-year period. Previous recipients of the fellowship are not eligible to apply.

The candidates are selected from a pool of highly competitive applicants who must:

Have completed or in the process of completing clinical training leading to an optometry degree. Although not required, some priority may be given to those with optometry training at a North American school or college of optometry.

Plan to enter a full-time PhD-level program located at a North American institution in order to pursue training in vision science or other related biomedical sciences. Those who have already started a graduate PhD program are not eligible. Funding is not awarded until the awardee has started their training at the institution and obtained an OD degree.

Outline a plan to pursue a career, which includes research and academic optometry, at a North American school or college of optometry.

Focus their research on the study of an innovative area impacting clinical care. Although not required, some priority may be given to those pursuing innovation in the field of cornea, contact lenses, or refractive technologies.

Applications must include the following:

Official transcript from a clinical training institution.
Either a resume/curriculum vitae (CV), or biosketch (e.g. NIH style acceptable, such as the “non-fellowship” NIH formatted biosketch).
Information regarding any other salary, monetary awards, and/or financial or research support.
Although not required, if the applicant has previous publications, abstracts, or research experience/work, include a listing/description of these if they are not already included in the provided resume/CV/biosketch.
Include a description of all training and teaching experience.
A personal statement limited to 200 words for each of the following individual items. This is a maximum of 1,000 words for the five items combined. The statement must include:
- Intended program of study and area of research, highlighting any innovation and clinical impact of this work. Specifically, describe clinically meaningful questions you hope to explore.
- Description of why this award would enable you to pursue graduate education over alternative paths.
- Your commitment and interest in optometric research and education within a school or college of optometry.
- Any additional academic or research training, including honors, lectures, papers, posters not already described in the resume/CV/biosketch.
- Short- and long-term career goals.

Three letters of recommendation from persons qualified to comment on your character, educational qualifications, research abilities, potential, and future teaching capabilities. Letters must be no longer than two pages.

**Please note, a notification will be sent to the “recommender” with instructions on how to upload the letter once your application has been submitted.**

Following award notification, but prior to the distribution of any funds to the institution, the AAOF must be provided a letter from an authorized individual (e.g. Dean, Associate Dean) at the graduate training institution (a) describing the applicant’s program of study (e.g. PhD in vision science), (b) confirming acceptance to the program and start date, (c) confirming the applicant has started the program.

If the applicant has already been awarded the first year $15,000 and wishes to apply for the second possible year of $15,000 support, their application does not require the above materials but rather consists of:

A progress report of up to 500 words describing achievements to date and goals/activities to be pursued during the second and final year of $15,000 funding. This report also should specifically highlight any presentations, publications, grant applications, and grants received.
A letter from an authorized individual (e.g. Dean, Associate Dean) at the graduate training institution (a) describing the applicant’s program of study (e.g. PhD in vision science), and (b) confirming continued enrollment and good standing in the program plus their GPA.

Applications and supporting materials must be uploaded via our online submission system.

All submissions will receive a confirmation email within three business days of receipt. The applicant will receive an additional message only if the application is incomplete.

Review Procedures
All grant/award submissions are initially reviewed for completeness and eligibility by Academy and Foundation staff. To the extent feasible, staff will work to notify applicants regarding eligibility and incomplete submissions prior to the application deadline.

Complete, eligible applications are then sent to a reviewing body, which is specifically chosen so as to allow the most knowledgeable merit review of the application. The reviewing body sends its recommendations to the Programs Advisory Committee (PAC), which uses the reviewing body’s recommendations to select the final awardees in alignment with programmatic needs and corresponding gift agreements.

The decision of the PAC is provided to the AAOF Board for review and approval. The AAO/AAOF Conflict of Interest policy governs the actions of individuals involved throughout this review and approval process.

Program Notes
Please note, prior to the opening of the submission window, changes may occur to the criteria and guidelines for submission to this program. Applicants are strongly encouraged to visit the program page during the open window to ensure they are aware of all requirements needed to apply.

In accepting a fellowship, the recipient agrees to:

Comply with all programmatic requests.
Notify AAOF of changes to recipient’s ability to complete the fellowship, contact information, and institution changes.
Acknowledge the AAOF in written and oral presentations (articles, abstracts, or research conducted) as a result of the fellowship.
Attend the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Optometry, including the AAOF Celebration Luncheon during the award period in order to receive the award in person.
If requested, provide a minimum of two volunteer hours at the AAOF/AAO Booth during the Academy’s annual meeting.
Allow the AAOF/AAO to publish their name, image, institution information, and any statement or quote provided by the recipient. These may appear in a variety of media formats announcing and promoting the program. This includes, but is not limited to, annual reports, website, and any promotional materials.
Submit a one-page progress report at the end of the award year. This progress report should specifically highlight any presentations, publications, grants applications, and/or grants received.
Awardees are strongly encouraged to:
- Submit research work associated with the fellowship to the Academy Scientific Program for consideration in the year of the application submission and award.
- Submit research work for consideration of publication (if accepted upon peer-review) to Optometry and Vision Science.

Next submission window is December 2023 – April 2024.

Questions

Contact Sarah Kidd, Manager, Awards and Donor Relations if you have any questions about this award.

Joe and Janet Barr Early Career Cornea and Contact Lens Research Award

Established in 2012, this award honors Joseph T. Barr and his wife, Janet. Dr. Barr is an exceptional mentor and role model of the profession.

The research award provides a first- or second-year MS or PhD student in vision science or physiological optics $2,000 of seed funding for research in the area of cornea/ocular surface or contact lenses. This award will be eligible for a one-time competitive renewal. Eligible applicants must be enrolled in a school or college of optometry, affiliated stand-alone graduate program or one combined with a professional or residency program. Priority will be given to North American applicants but is not a requirement to apply.

The submission window opens in February and closes in April.

Applicants must be a student member of the American Academy of Optometry and submit all necessary documents by the deadline. Required documents include:

Copy of current CV/resume.
One-page statement describing past and present educational and research achievements, future educational objectives, and long-term career goals in the areas of cornea and contact lens research.
An up to 2-page summary of the proposed research project. Include a summary of the relevant background/rationale and hypotheses, purpose, methods (including planned analyses), and budget (including any cost-share or additional funding mechanisms). If this is a renewal application, provide a detailed description of the project during the previous funding cycle.
If the applicant has submitted or published papers, submit copies of no more than three best representations of that work. One may include abstracts, but only if they are citable.
A letter from the Dean, Associate Dean for Research, or authorized official stating the applicant has been accepted into or is currently enrolled in the first year of a Vision Science/Physiological Optics MS or PhD program at a school or college of optometry and that any funds received from the AAOF will only support the proposed project and not decrease any academic financial support.
A letter from a research supervisor/mentor describing their support of the described project and educational advancement of the applicant during the award period.
Once recipient is chosen and before money is disbursed, a signed AAOF Research Agreement.

All grant/award submissions are initially reviewed for eligibility and completeness by Academy staff. To the extent feasible, staff will notify applicants of ineligibility and incompleteness prior to the application deadline.

Complete, eligible applications are sent to the AAO Research Committee for scientific merit review. This reviewing body sends its recommendations to the Programs Advisory Committee (PAC), which uses the reviewing body’s recommendations to select the final awardees in alignment with programmatic needs and corresponding gift agreements.

The decision of the PAC is then sent to the AAOF Board for review and approval. The AAO/AAOF Conflict of Interest policy governs the actions of individuals involved throughout the review and approval process.

Award Notes

Funds support research conducted for a period of one year. Recipients must submit a 2-page progress report detailing the scientific knowledge gained during the funding period and how this information was or will be communicated (e.g. publication, presentation) to the AAOF at the end of the award period. Recipients are encouraged to submit a manuscript describing the funded work to Optometry and Vision Science.

The AAOF is a non-profit organization, and our policy is to not cover any overhead and/or indirect costs associated with research awards or any other of our programs. This policy applies uniformly to all award recipients.

It is the standard policy of the AAOF that program recipients who receive a travel stipend in order to attend a meeting/event cannot receive a second or duplicate travel stipend to the same meeting/event from the Foundation or its parent organization, the AAO.

All award recipients by application and acceptance of an award agree to allow the AAOF and/or sponsor of the program to which they applied to publish their name, image, institution information, and any statement or quote provided by the recipient. These will appear in a variety of media formats that will announce and promote the program including, but not limited to, the AAOF and/or sponsor annual report, website, annual meeting promotional materials.

Recipient must attend the annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry and attend the Foundation Celebration Luncheon to receive their award. The recipient is also required to volunteer at the Foundation booth during the meeting.

Recipient must not have applied during the same application year or previously received an Ezell Fellowship.

The submission window has closed for 2023.

Questions

Contact Sarah Kidd, Manager, Awards and Donor Relations if you have any questions about this award.

Korb-Exford Dry Eye Career Development Grant

The grant is designed to support an individual to further their knowledge in the broad area of dry eye. The applicant must have a demonstrable interest in either a clinical or basic science area of dry eye and may be a clinician, educator, researcher or student. The grant recipient will receive 25K paid out to the institution where the research is being conducted.

Nomination Requirements

The application must be submitted online via our online submission system. Click on the “Apply Now” button when the window is open to submit the proposal.
The application must have three key components:
- Two-page description of how the “Dry Eye Grant” will be used, the exceptional opportunity that it will provide, and the impact it will have on the applicant’s career.
- Curriculum vitae of no more than three pages.
- The individual must possess an OD or relevant graduate degree and must be a member of the American Academy of Optometry, as a student, candidate, or Fellow at the time of applying for the award.
Priority will be given to North American applicants but is not a requirement to apply.

Review Procedures

All grant/award submissions are initially reviewed for completeness and eligibility by Academy staff. To the extent feasible, staff will work to notify applicants of eligibility and incompleteness prior to the application deadline.

Complete, eligible applications are then sent to the AAO Research Committee to provide a scientific merit review. This reviewing body sends its recommendations to the Programs Advisory Committee (PAC), which uses the reviewing body recommendations to select the final awardees in alignment with programmatic needs and corresponding gift agreements.

The decision of the PAC is sent to the AAOF Board for review and approval. The AAO/AAOF Conflict of Interest policy governs the actions of individuals involved throughout this review and approval process.

Program Notes

The maximum time to initiate the use of the stipend is one year from the announcement of the grant.
A 500-word progress report must be submitted one year after funds are distributed.
The AAOF is a non-profit organization and our policy is not to cover any indirect costs associated with this grant or any other of our programs.
The award recipient and an institution representative will be invited to attend the next AAO annual meeting in order to be recognized and participate at AAOF events and the annual Foundation Celebration Luncheon.
All award recipients by application and acceptance of an award agree to allow the AAOF and/or the sponsor of the program to which they applied to publish their name, image, institution information, and any statement or quote provided by the recipient. These may appear in a variety of media formats that will announce and promote the program including, but not limited to, the Foundation’s and/or sponsor’s annual report, website, annual meeting promotional materials.

Apply Here

The submission window will close July 1.

Questions

William C. Ezell Fellowship

Since 1949, Ezell Fellowships have provided support to graduate students enrolled in a full-time program of study and training in vision-related research, which leads to a Master’s or PhD degree. Fellowships are for one year, and the current amount awarded is $8,000. Each student also receives two $750 travel grants in order to attend the Academy’s annual meeting and the ARVO meeting.

Eligibility and Application
You must use your Academy login credentials to access the application.
**Application cannot be completed on Mozilla Firefox browser.**

The submission window opens December and closes February annualy.
Fellowship distribution is to the individual and released in the Fall. The Ezell Fellowship program is extremely competitive. Some Fellowships focus on specialized areas of research, such as glaucoma, cornea and contact lenses, and binocular vision and pediatrics.
Preference will be given to first time awardees. Previous Ezell Fellows are eligible to apply. The maximum number of times an individual can be awarded an Ezell Fellowship is two.
Applicants should be a graduate student enrolled in a full time program of study and training in vision-related research that leads to a PhD degree. Applications from individuals pursuing a Master’s degree will be considered only under the rare circumstance that the applicant’s accomplishments in vision-related research are equivalent to those applicants pursuing a PhD.
Applicants must be a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO), whether as a student, candidate, or Fellow at the time of acceptance of any award. Click here to learn more about membership.

Applications must be submitted online and include:

NIH Biosketch (PDF) – Upload an NIH biosketch with sections A, B, & C completed using the non-fellowship biosketch form. Section A should describe your research and scientific goals (not career goals).
Link to Scopus Profile – A link to your publicly available author summary page in Scopus must be provided if you are listed in Scopus. Find your publicly available author summary page at Scopus and copy/paste the link. If you do not have publications indexed by Scopus (i.e. you do not have an author profile), type the word ‘NONE’ in place of a link. To view an example, click here
Peer-Reviewed Manuscripts – A list of your peer-reviewed manuscripts.
Abstract/Conference Information – A list of both your first-author and co-author scientific abstracts.

Personal Statement addressing:

Your commitment and interest in optometric research and education (250-word limit)
Your teaching experience, training, and future education goals (250-word limit)

Two letters of recommendation (2-page maximum each) from persons qualified to comment on your educational qualifications, research abilities, potential, and future teaching capabilities.

**Please note: Once your application has been submitted, a notification will be sent to the “recommender” with instructions on how to upload their letter.**

Review Procedures
All grant/award submissions are initially reviewed for completeness and eligibility by Academy staff. To the extent feasible, staff will work to notify applicants regarding eligibility and incomplete submissions prior to the application deadline.

Complete, eligible applications are then sent to the AAO Research Committee for scientific merit review. This reviewing body sends its recommendations to the Programs Advisory Committee (PAC) which, in alignment with programmatic needs and corresponding gift agreements, uses the reviewing body’s recommendations to select final awardees.

Program Notes

In accepting an Ezell Fellowship, students agree to:

Compliance with all programmatic requests and notification the Foundation of changes in student status such as a change to part-time status, a pause in training, or a discontinuation of training.
Submission of an abstract to the Academy Scientific Program in the year of application submission and award.
Attend the full Annual Meeting and Foundation Celebration Luncheon.
Perform a minimum of two volunteer hours at the Foundation booth.
Acknowledge the Foundation in written and oral presentations.
Submit a W-8 form (Non-U.S. residents) or W-9 form (U.S. residents).
Consider pursuing a full-time career in optometric education and research at a school or college of optometry; supporting the Foundation through the Ezell Club; and working toward Fellowship in the AAO (if it has not already been obtained).

It is the standard policy of the Foundation that program recipients who receive a travel stipend as part of their award cannot receive a second or duplicate travel stipend from the Foundation or its affiliate, the AAO.

All award recipients, by application and acceptance of an award, agree to allow the Foundation and/or the sponsor of the program to which they applied to publish their name, image, institution information, and any statement or quote provided by the recipient. These may appear in a variety of media formats announcing and promoting the program. This includes, but is not limited to, the Foundation and/or sponsor annual report, website, and annual meeting promotional materials.

The submission window is now closed for 2023.

Questions

Contact Sarah Kidd, Manager, Awards and Donor Relations if you have any questions about this award.

Faculty

Beta Sigma Kappa (BSK) Research Fellowship

This fellowship supports new optometric and vision science faculty research and optometric resident research. First awarded in 2012, the fellowship is designed to benefit individuals who are early in their career and whose academic curiosity has led them to seek answers to a vast variety of professionally-based questions covering a wide area of vision science, clinical practice, or eye related public health.

Eligibility and Application

The submission window opens June 1, 2023, and closes August 1, 2023 at 5pm EST.

Regardless of membership in BSK, the fellowship is open to all optometric-related faculty (including adjunct faculty) within three years of their initial academic faculty appointment, optometric residents, and fellows at any school or college of optometry.
Applicants must be a member of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO), whether as a Fellow or Candidate.
One fellowship of $4,000 will be awarded annually.
Research proposals must be in Arial 11 point font with half-inch margins and single-spaced. Research proposals must be uploaded as a single file in PDF format, six pages or less, and contain the following:
1. Cover page:
  - Project title
  - Applicant name plus degree(s)
  - Institution and address
  - Supervising faculty member with title and contact information
2. Research plan:
  - Statement of problem
  - Experimental design
  - Relevance of problem to clinical optometry, vision science, or eye-related public health
  - Supporting institution
  - Available resources
  - Plans for publication
  - Research plan timetable
3. Budget explanation: (**Nominal research subject payments are allowable**)
  - State amount of grant request
  - Describe/itemize costs
  - Justification for equipment, supplies and other expenses
4. Include CV with the applicant’s education plus clinical, research, and teaching experience. The CV should not exceed three pages and must be uploaded as a separate PDF file.
5. Helsinki declaration (required only if human subjects are involved)
6. Letter of endorsement by Faculty Advisor, Dean or President/Director of the school or college verifying the proposal was reviewed and meets with the standards of the institution.

Applications and supporting materials should be emailed to AAOAwards@aaoptom.org and include the words BSK + last name of applicant in the subject line of the email. Applicants will receive a confirmation by e-mail within three business days of receipt. If confirmation is not received, contact the AAOF office to ensure the application is on file.

Review Procedures

Applications are reviewed for scientific merit by the Research Committee, and then the Programs Approval Committee (PAC) selects the recipient based on merit and programmatic goals. The Foundation Board reviews and approves funding via the Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honor Society.

Program Notes

Funds support research conducted for a period up to one year.
The AAOF is a non-profit organization; as such our policy is not to cover indirect costs associated with research grants for any of our programs. This policy applies uniformly to all award recipients.
Recipients must submit a final report of their research findings no later than August 1st of the year after funding was awarded or the applicant and/or institution become ineligible for funding the subsequent year. The preferred submission is an article in a form suitable for publication.
Recipients should plan to attend and present at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry in the years of review and award.
Recipients are encouraged to submit their results as a manuscript to Optometry and Vision Science. The manuscript should reflect results of the funded work. Any manuscript or publication material produced must acknowledge the American Academy of Optometry Foundation and Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honor Society.

The award recipient(s) and an institution representative should plan to attend the American Academy of Optometry Foundation Celebration Luncheon, where both the recipient and institution will receive the award and recognition.

All award recipients, by application and acceptance of an award, agree to allow the AAOF and the fellowship sponsor, Beta Sigma Kappa International Honor Society, to publish their name, image, institution information, and any statement or quote provided by the recipient. These may appear in a variety of media formats that announce and promote the fellowship including, but not limited to, the AAOF and/or sponsor annual report, website, social media, Academy/Foundation newsletters, and annual meeting promotional materials.

Questions

Contact Sarah Kidd, Manager, Awards and Donor Relations if you have any questions about this award.

Fredric Rosemore Low Vision Educational Grant

First awarded in 2012, this grant is intended to increase interest and reward excellence in the field of low vision of faculty at North American schools and colleges of optometry. The $1,000 grant may be used to provide care, support personnel, provide equipment, or to fill any other need in the field of low vision as identified by the institution and consistent with the AAOF mission.

Eligibility and Application

The submission window opens April 1, 2023 and closes in June 1, 2023 at 5pm EST.

Applicants must be a member of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) as a student, candidate, or Fellow at the time of acceptance of any award.
Application must be submitted via our online submission system and include the following:
CV in PDF form with applicant’s education and clinical, research, and employment experience.
Proposal and budget ( 4 pages or less)
Letter of endorsement by the Dean or President/Director of the school or college of optometry (optional)
A one-page progress/results report must be submitted to the AAOF within one year of the award.

Apply Here

Questions

Contact Sarah Kidd, Manager, Awards and Donor Relations if you have any questions about this award.