CooperVision Seeks Proposals for 2021 Science and Technology Awards

Wednesday, May 12 2021 | 07 h 36 min | News

To drive innovation in the industry through continuous contact lens research and development, CooperVision is now accepting submissions for its 2021 Science and Technology Awards program. The longstanding program fosters partnerships between recipients and CooperVision scientists to explore new dimensions in vision care, with the goal of translating innovative ideas into practical solutions.

“As a leading global manufacturer of contact lenses, CooperVision has brought to market many breakthrough products, but we never stop raising the bar and working for what comes next,” said Francis Erard, CooperVision’s Vice President of Research & Development. “Over the years, our partnerships through the Science and Technology Awards Program have resulted in notable advancements in product design and development.”

Since 2014, the program has made grants totaling more than $2 million to investigate matters such as ocular surface health, contact lens discomfort, contact lens functionality, and retinal response to optical defocus.

In 2021, submissions will be considered for the following subjects:

• New technologies for the prediction, prevention, and treatment of myopia, including understanding the impact of environmental factors and the COVID-19 pandemic on myopia progression, and novel monitoring and tracking methods

• Sustainable materials and technologies for storage and transport of contact lenses and contact lens care solutions

• Contact lens technologies aimed at protecting the eye from common ocular conditions, including age-related changes, dry eye, digital eye strain, and environmental insults

• Technologies to elevate visual performance with contact lenses

Proposals may span proof-of-concept through translational stages and are eligible for two types of awards. The CooperVision Seedling Award is intended for investigation of early-stage concepts for a one-year period, with a maximum grant of $100,000. The CooperVision Translational Research Award is a two-year grant for substantive projects with funding up to $400,000. It is intended to incentivize collaboration with CooperVision in new research areas.

CooperVision Science and Technology Awards are open to any researcher with principal investigator (PI) status holding an OD, MD, PhD or equivalent degree.

Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent before June 25, 2021. Additional information and the online application are available HERE.

Click HERE for the full press release.