RPB Stein Innovation Awards

About this program

Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) offers Stein Innovation Awards of $300,000 for three years to support high-risk, high-gain vision research that advances understanding of the visual system and diseases affecting vision. Projects should be innovative and substantially depart from the applicant’s prior work, with a clear research plan, compelling preliminary data, and potential to catalyze a new line of inquiry.

Applicants must hold an MD, PhD, MD/PhD, or equivalent doctoral degree and an academic appointment at the associate professor, professor, or full professor level at a U.S. institution, with at least 5% effort devoted to the project. Department chairs must nominate candidates, with nominations due June 15 or December 15 and applications due July 1 or January 10, depending on whether the applicant is outside or inside ophthalmology.