Clinical Research Award

About this program

American Academy of Optometry offers the Clinical Research Award to fund clinically focused optometry research that answers meaningful patient‑care questions and promotes collaboration between practicing optometrists and academic researchers, providing up to $100,000 in direct costs per project with a two‑year completion requirement (no indirect/F&A costs). PI and all clinical investigators must be Academy Fellows or Candidates in good standing, the majority of the research team must be optometrists primarily engaged in clinical practice, and the PI must designate an Academic Partner (e.g., MS/PhD with publications) who is also an Academy Fellow or Candidate. Prospective applicants must submit a single LOI as a PDF (maximum five pages, single‑spaced, Arial 11, ½‑inch margins; CVs not counted toward the page limit) for eligibility review and, if invited, one NIH‑formatted full proposal; one LOI and one proposal are allowed per PI per cycle and required human/animal approvals must be in place before funding—submissions are emailed to HelenV@aaoptom.org.