ORLANDO, Fla.—The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) has introduced a new clinical research award for Fellows of the Academy. The award was created to provide a mechanism for Academy Fellows to conduct clinical research for the purpose of answering clinically meaningful questions that will have a significant impact on patient care in optometry.

To fund direct costs only, the Academy will provide a maximum of $100,000 per project, and each project must be completed within two years. Funding will not be provided for indirect expenses/facilities and administration expenses. At least 60 percent of the investigator group must be in clinical practice outside of an academic institution. Investigators must submit study results to the Academy’s Scientific Program Committee for presentation at the Academy’s annual meeting and to the AAO’s journal, Optometry and Vision Science, or other peer-reviewed journals, for publication.

The AAO will begin accepting submissions on Dec. 1, 2014, and prospective applicants should submit a letter of intent defining their eligibility no later than Feb. 1, 2015. Submissions are due May 1, 2015, and winners will be notified and funds dispersed in September 2015. Awardees will be announced at the 2015 AAO meeting awards ceremony to be held in New Orleans, Oct. 7-10, 2015.