Glaucoma UK

Glaucoma UK is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 274681).

Glaucoma UK is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales that exists to help preserve the sight of people affected by glaucoma and allied conditions. It funds research into the causes, diagnosis, care and treatment of glaucoma, and alongside that it runs a telephone helpline and online forum, publishes booklets and leaflets, and runs support groups and conferences for patients and professionals. It awarded £814,470 in its most recent reported year. Its research funding includes project grants of up to £150,000, PhD fellowships worth £300,000, and discretionary awards of up to £5,000.

Priority Areas

Glaucoma UK funds research across all aspects of glaucoma, through project grants and opportunities that help people specialise in glaucoma research, including PhDs and research fellowships. It looks for research that could lead to a demonstrable benefit for people living with glaucoma, offers value for money, is ethically acceptable and has a high likelihood of a conclusive outcome. The work may address glaucoma care, including improved diagnosis, monitoring, treatment or management, or improve understanding of the causes of glaucoma. Its grants are open to research projects hosted by established research institutions such as universities or hospitals in the UK or Republic of Ireland. Research carried out outside the British Isles must have demonstrable potential benefit to the UK population and the NHS where applicable. Applications are assessed through due diligence, triage and expert review, with patient input and final decisions by trustees.

Themes

• Glaucoma research

Geographic Focus

UK; Republic of Ireland.

Applicants begin with a short proposal. Glaucoma UK staff and Grants Award Panel members triage it for strategic fit and potential impact; successful applicants are invited to complete a full application form.

Deadlines: Applications open at the UKEGS conference each year; decisions are made the following September.

Who can apply:

• Project grants: The principal applicant will usually hold a relevant post-graduate qualification and must be leading their own work.
• PhD Fellowship: The applicant should be a qualified glaucoma professional working in an NHS organisation. They should have already identified a potential host institution who would be able to facilitate the PhD studentship.
• PhD studentship: The lead applicant must be the supervisor, who must hold a relevant post-graduate qualification and be leading their own work.
• Pitts Crick Career Development Fellowship: The applicant must be a post-graduate researcher who is looking to develop their own independent research.
• The host institution must be an established research institution, such as a university or hospital, in the UK or Republic of Ireland. Where the research itself takes place outside the British Isles, the project should have demonstrable potential benefit to the UK population and the NHS if applicable. All grants must start within 12 months of the award date.

What to send:

• Applicants will need to state how their research will contribute to Glaucoma UK’s own charitable objectives, Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE), and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI).

What the charity says:

• It prioritises research with demonstrable benefit for people living with glaucoma, value for money, ethical acceptability and a high likelihood of a conclusive outcome.
• Expressions of interest are assessed for scientific merit and strategic fit.
• An expert patient panel considers the potential patient benefit.