ARVO and the ARVO Foundation are proud to provide young investigators with opportunities to present their work and build their networks with the financial support of a travel grant. Travel grants are provided to those whose research findings in the abstract are considered to be of high interest to the vision and ophthalmology research community. Apply for a travel grant when you submit your abstract for the Annual Meeting.
Travel grants cover Annual Meeting registration fees for all recipients, even if you plan on attending virtually. For those attending the Meeting in person, a stipend to help cover travel expenses is included. Below are the eligibility criteria for each travel grant.
ARVO Sponsored Travel Grants
American Uveitis Society Travel Grant is given to a young researcher whose work is accepted for presentation by the Immunology and Microbiology (IM) section.
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Travel Grants supports international researchers with high-scoring abstracts.
Sek-Jin Chew Travel Grant is awarded to a researcher whose work is directly related to myopia and control of eye growth.
Connie Lee Lerea Travel Grant is awarded to an researcher whose abstract must be reviewed and accepted for presentation by the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BI) or the Retinal Cell Biology (RC) Section.
National Eye Institute Travel Grants supports researchers who conduct their work in the United States.
Societa Italiana Laser in Oftalmologia (SILO) Travel Grants supports Italian researchers whose work is related to applications of laser light in ophthalmology.
ARVO Foundation Sponsored Travel Grants
American Macular Degeneration Foundation Travel Grants support two awards annually for a US researcher working in the area of macular degeneration.
ARVO Staff Travel Grant is supported by the ARVO staff and given to a researcher with a high-scoring abstract that does not qualify for another travel grant.
ARVO Foundation Travel Grants are given to US and non-US researchers with high-scoring abstracts that do not qualify for other travel grants.
Elizabeth Anderson Travel Grants are in memory of Elizabeth Anderson. Mrs. Robert E. Anderson was always passionate about helping young researchers meet their role models, and these grants continues to provide opportunities to researchers in her name. The recipients must have an abstract reviewed and accepted for presentation by the Biochemistry/Molecular Biology or Retinal Cell Biology Section of ARVO in the areas of inherited retinal degeneration and macular degeneration.
Eye Research Center Travel Grant supports a researcher who conducts clinical research in the United States and requires IRB (human subjects).
Joanne G. Angle Travel Grant is in memory of Joanne Angle, who served as the ARVO executive director for 22 years and was instrumental in making ARVO what it is today. Two travel grants are given to a young researcher from a developing country and one is given to a US researcher.
Grant Wood Balkema Memorial Travel Grant is in memory of Grant Wood Balkema, PhD, who was an associate professor at Boston College, and recognizes his dedication to undergraduates in biological and biochemical research. This grant is awarded to an undergraduate or junior graduate student.
Robert B. Barlow, Jr. Travel Grant remembers Robert B. Barlow, Jr., PhD, FARVO, who co-founded the Center for Vision Research at Upstate Medical University. The award supports a trainee whose abstract is submitted to the VN section and is related to the functional analysis of the visual system; studies must involve non-mammalian animal models.
Robert F. Miller, MD, Travel Grant remembers Robert F. Miller, MD, and supports a reseacher studying visual neuroscience.
Roger Beuerman, PhD, Travel Grant remembers Roger Beuerman, PhD, and supports a researcher whose work is focused on ocular surface or tear film research.
IRCCS-Fondazione G. B. Bietti per lo Studio e la Ricerca in Oftalmologia-ONLUS Travel Grants support researchers who are citizens of Italy.
BrightFocus Foundation Travel Grants support up to four awards for young researchers whose work pertains to age-related macular degeneration or glaucoma. There are no restrictions on citizenship or residence.
Ramon F. Dacheux II Memorial Travel Grant is in memory of Ramon F. Dacheux, II, PhD, who was a professor in the department of ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). This grant is awarded to student researchers conducting basic science research in visual neuroscience.
M. Velma Dobson Memorial Travel Grant is in memory of M. Velma Dobson, PhD, FARVO, who dedicated herself to research on visual development of infants and children. This travel grant recognizes research on visual development of infants and children with or without eye disease.
C. Stephen and Frances B. Foster Foundation Travel Grant is awarded to a researcher working in ocular immunology and ocular inflammation/uveitis.
Qais Farjo, MD Memorial Travel Grant is endowed by EyeCRO and Rafal Farjo, PhD in memory of Qais Farjo, MD. This grant supports five graduate students and five post-doctoral researchers working in translational research.
G. M. Jager Travel Grant is in memory of G. M. Jager, a specialist in retinal eye diseases, who is known for his discovery of the inheritance and retinal characteristics of X-linked retinoschisis. This travel grant recognizes researchers who reside and conduct research in an Eastern European Country.
Murray and Jeanie Johnstone Travel Grant is awarded to a researcher working in glaucoma.
Karamichos/Utheim Keratoconus Travel Grant is awarded to a researcher whose work is related to the study of keratoconus.
Knights Templar Eye Foundation Travel Grants support U.S. researchers as well as international researchers from Austria, Brazil, Italy, Portugal, Panama, Romania or the Philippines.
Sarla P. Kothary Memorial Travel Grant remembers Dr. Sarla P. Kothary, a clinical researcher in the field of anesthesiology and epilepsy who benefited from scholarships and grants throughout her education and career. She often traveled to ARVO meetings with her husband Piyush Kothary, a researcher specializing in retina. She made many lifelong friends in the ARVO community until her passing in 2015 from pancreatic cancer. This travel grant supports one female researcher from the U.S. whose work is related to retina research.
Kowa Travel Grant is awarded to a researcher who has conducted research related to glaucoma in Japan.
Kreissig Travel Grant is given for outstanding engagement in the research of retina and was established in 2011 in recognition of Dr. Kreissig’s scientific and clinical contributions as a retinal specialist at the Universities of Tuebingen and Heidelberg and at NY Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell University. Starting 2021 the Kreissig Travel Grant preferably will be assigned to a female candidate living in Africa or Israel, as an exception in Europe, and the candidate should be from an academic or nonprofit research setting.
Lens and Cataract Travel Grant supports one award annually for a researcher studying an aspect of lens or cataract. The award is open to researchers from any country.
Lincoff-Kreissig Minimal Surgery Travel Grant is given for outstanding engagement in the research of retina. It was endowed in 2021 by their colleagues in recognition of their mutual 48-year long exceptional scientific and clinical work in minimal surgery for repair of retinal detachment. The grant will be assigned preferably to a candidate living in Israel, and if none, a US or European candidate is acceptable. The candidate should be from an academic or nonprofit research setting.
Lions Eye Institute for Transplant and Research Travel Grants support researchers working in the state of Florida. Five awards support researchers doing basic science research related to cornea, retina or cell transplantation or residents or corneal fellows doing cornea research, including clinical work providing it is related to corneal transplantation or eye banking.
Richard Newton Lolley Travel Grant is in memory of Richard Newton Lolley, PhD, whose contributions to vision research helped establish the biochemical and molecular pathway of cGMP metabolism in the photoreceptor and in our understanding of the importance of the delicate balance of the photoreceptor in health and disease. This grant is awarded to investigators conducting research in the U.S. related to photoreceptor signal transduction pathways.
Friederike Mackensen Travel Grant is in memory of Friederike Mackensen, MD. One award is given annually to a German female researcher under the age of 40 working in clinical research in ocular immunology.
NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre Travel Grant recognizes investigators who reside and conduct research in England.
Overseas Chinese Association for Vision and Eye Research (OCAVER) Travel Grant is given to a member of OCAVER who is enrolled full-time as research assistant or is an undergrad/postgrad student at research university.
David R. Pepperberg Travel Grant is given in memory of David R. Pepperberg, PhD, FARVO, a beloved vision scientist whose work focused on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of light and dark adaptation in retinal photoreceptors. The award is presented to authors at the career level of earning a doctorate, a medical student or postdoctoral fellow in the area of basic research on photoreceptors and/or novel treatments to prevent retinal degeneration.
Reader's Digest Partners for Sight Foundation Travel Grants are awarded to researchers who have conducted low vision research.
Retina Research Foundation/Joseph M. and Eula C. Lawrence Travel Grants honor investigators conducting research in the U.S. on retinal applications.
Bosco Tjan Memorial Travel Grant is in memory of Bosco Tjan, a professor at the University of Southern California. The award supports one U.S. research working in visual neuroscience.
Josh Wallman Travel Grant is in memory of Josh Wallman, PhD, FARVO. It is presented to the best abstract on experimental myopia or research on the refractive development of the eye from a student or post-doctoral trainee presented through the AP, CL, VI, VN or EY sections.
Women in Eye and Vision Research (WEAVR) Travel Grants honor female investigators. They are supported through funds raised at the annual WEAVR Luncheon.
Gerhard Zinser Memorial Travel Grant is supported by Heidelberg Engineering in memory of the company's late co-founder, Gerhard Zinser. The award is presented to a researcher under age 40 whose abstract is related to imaging techniques.