ORLANDO, Fla.—The American Academy of Optometry announced a new program, The Research Academy, to be held in Columbus, Ohio, July 17 to 19, 2018. The goal of The Research Academy is to help optometry faculty attendees develop ideas that will result in extramural funding for both basic and patient-oriented research in optometry and vision science.

The program will facilitate collaboration among attendees and their ideas, and research approaches will be evaluated by experienced researchers with a history of extramural funding and by National Eye Institute staff.

The program will include a mock National Institutes of Health-style study section so that attendees can experience how submitted grants are reviewed. Components of a viable research idea, an overview of the National Eye Institute and federal changes to the regulations that govern biomedical research will be emphasized.

The ideal attendee will either be engaged in current, formal research training or has a research-related degree and/or equivalent experience. On-site costs of the program will be sponsored by the Academy, and attendees and/or their academic institutions will be responsible for transportation expenses.

The Research Academy information and application can be found here. The application window will be open from Dec. 18 to Jan. 16, 2018. Early applications are encouraged, as admission will be on a rolling basis.