Research Funding Program
Through the FFB Grants and Awards Program, The Foundation Fighting Blindness funds research relevant to understanding the causes and improving the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of retinal degenerative diseases. The FFB also supports the development of emerging scientists through its fellowships. Funding applications are peer-reviewed by Canadian and non-Canadian scientists who are prominent experts in vision health.
Operating Grants
The FFB holds an annual open competition for university-based researchers to develop innovative research proposals and submit applications for funding. Approval and funding of research proposals are based on peer-review guidelines. Investigators are asked to submit an initial letter of intent to ensure that their proposed program of research meets FFB criteria. Letters of Intent are now being accepted with an application deadline of November 15, 2011.
Learn more about applying for a FFB operating grant.
Investigator-initiated project may also be funded through named grants. Named Grants recognize the generous funding provided by private donors, corporations and funding agencies towards specific research projects.
Strategic Research Partnerships
The FFB identifies research challenges that are particularly timely and relevant. It then seeks partners such as other funding agencies, corporations, and private donors to address these challenges through a strategic research initiative. When funding has been secured, requests for proposals (RFPs) are circulated within the scientific research community. Research proposals submitted in response to these RFPs are peer-reviewed by the FFB Scientific Advisory Board, on the bases of relevance and scientific excellence, or in some instances by the peer-reviewed processes of our funding partners. All funding is approved by the FFB Board of Directors. These partnerships are expanding our ability to translate research knowledge into sight-saving treatments.
Learn more about our strategic partnerships.
Fellowships
The Foundation Fighting Blindness also supports the development of emerging scientists, both through funding partnerships and through specific fellowship awards. No new awards are currently being offered but recipients continue to be supported through the following award programs.
W.K. Stell Award – This starter grant, which is equivalent to Scholar awards from some other funding agencies, is awarded to a young investigator for a period of up to five years. It is named for FFB’s former Scientific Advisory Board Chair and current Director of FFB Research Programs.
Postdoctoral Fellowships – Postdoctoral Fellowships support postdoctoral training of young scientists who have recently completed an M.D., Ph.D., or equivalent degree. They help to create a continuing supply of outstanding retinal research scientists, so that Canada’s leading universities and health care centres can continue to boast world-class vision health research.
Graduate Student Scholarships – Graduate Student Scholarships have been created to increase the number of Canadian graduate students entering careers in retina-related research. These traineeships support highly qualified students enrolled in graduate programs leading to advanced research degrees such as the Ph.D. They support the preparation of scientists for further training in the field of retinal research through programs such as the FFB Postdoctoral Fellowships.
Learn more about some of the fellowships currently being funded.