CooperVision Seeks Proposals for Science and Technology Awards

CooperVision is accepting submissions until May 31 for its 2020 Science and Technology Awards program, with a focus on novel research concepts to address myopia (nearsightedness) and presbyopia (farsightedness). The 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.

"Since launching the Science and Technology Awards in 2014, multiple collaborations have emerged that are helping shape advancements in contact lenses, refractive error and ocular disease," according to Francis Erard, CooperVision's Vice President of Research and Development. "We have high expectations for new partnerships this year, especially with such high-visibility areas as myopia and presbyopia."

Over its history, the program has made 14 grants totaling $2 million to investigate matters such as ocular surface health, contact lens discomfort, contact lens functionality, and retinal response to optical defocus. In 2020, submissions will be considered for several subjects, including strategies and interventions to slow myopia progression, with an emphasis on new technologies for treatment and management; intelligent systems and data approaches for identifying eyes at risk of glaucoma; and technologies to enhance the optical functionality of contact lenses for the correction of presbyopia.

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 May 31, 2020. If a letter is accepted, an applicant will be invited to submit a full proposal.

CooperVision, a division of CooperCompanies, is one of the world's leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses. The Company produces an array of daily disposable, two-week, and monthly contact lenses, all featuring advanced materials and optics. CooperVision has a strong heritage of solving the toughest vision challenges such as astigmatism, presbyopia, and childhood myopia; and offers the most complete collection of spherical, toric, and multifocal products available. The company has more than 30 PhDs in its research and development centers located at Hacienda in Pleasanton, in Southampton, United Kingdom, and in Nobeoka, Japan.

For more information about CooperVision, please visit www.coopervision.com.

For more information about the 2020 Science and Technology Awards program as well as access to the online application, please visit www.coopervision.com/our-company/science-and-technology-awards.

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