UK charity establishes new funding opportunities to address sight loss

Fight for Sight is encouraging applicants to apply for the Project Grants Awards. The call for the £250k award to undertake a three-year project is now open.

The charity is accepting applications for research that aims to address sight loss caused by any eye condition. Applications are particularly encouraged for research into age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, inherited eye diseases and sight loss linked to other diseases.

Collaborative working is important to the charity in order to improve the lives of those living with eye conditions which is why Fight for Sight, for the first time, has partnered with the Stroke Association to fund research into sight loss linked to stroke.

In addition, Fight for Sight and Nystagmus Network are jointly funding an award for research into sight loss association with nystagmus.

The jointly funded Project Grant awards are open to both clinical and non-clinical research scientists wishing to undertake research to address sight loss associated with stroke and nystagmus.

For this round, Fight for Sight has also partnered with Health and Care Research Wales and the Chief Optometric Adviser for Wales to offer a joint Project Grant Award to an eligible Host Institution based within Wales. Applications are particularly encouraged in the fields of myopia and corneal disease.

Dr Rubina Ahmed, Head of Research at Fight for Sight, said:

We’re proud to establish new funding opportunities with both the Stroke Association and the Welsh Government departments, in addition to continuing our long standing relationship with the Nystagmus Network. By increasing the funding from £170k to £250k, we want to encourage researchers to take this opportunity to make a difference to patients’ lives by carrying out their innovative research.”

Kate Holmes, Assistant Director of Research at the Stroke Association, said:

Visual impairment is common following a stroke and something stroke survivors tell us affects their ability to rebuild their lives. Research into visual problems after stroke is underfunded, therefore we are excited by this new research partnership with Fight for Sight, which we hope will lead to innovative research for the benefit of people affected by stroke.”

Vivien Jones, chair of the Nystagmus Network’s research committee, said:

We are delighted to be joining Fight for Sight in funding a post-doctoral researcher for nystagmus. This means we will be bringing new expertise into the field, which we are very pleased to do. It is the biggest investment we have made in research and we are grateful to all those who fundraise for us for helping to make this happen.”  

The deadline for abstract applications is 11 July 2019.

Source:

Fight for Sight