RPB Stein Innovation Awards
RPB Stein Innovation Awards support faculty inside and outside ophthalmology with seed funding for high-risk vision research that opens new inquiry into the visual system and diseases that impair it.
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Funder: Research to Prevent Blindness
Due Dates: December 15, 2026 (Inside ophthalmology nomination) | January 10, 2027 (Inside ophthalmology application) | June 15, 2027 (Outside ophthalmology nomination) | July 1, 2027 (Outside ophthalmology application)
Funding Amounts: $300,000 in two $150,000 payments, to be spent within three years; second payment contingent on approved progress report
Summary: Seed funding for high-risk, high-gain vision research that opens a new line of inquiry into the visual system and diseases that impair it.
Key Information: Department-chair nomination is required, and the proposed research cannot have previous or current funding from other sources.
Description
Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) supports innovative vision science through Stein Innovation Awards for faculty inside and outside ophthalmology. The awards provide seed funding for high-risk, high-gain research aimed at understanding the visual system and diseases that compromise its function. The outside-ophthalmology award is open to any topic within vision research, without a specific scientific focus.
Projects should catalyze a new line of inquiry or depart from previously funded research, rather than naturally extend the candidate’s existing work. RPB seeks unconventional, novel reasoning that federal funders are unlikely to finance and research substantially different from an R01-type endeavor. Proposals must pair ambitious ideas with a clear, rational research plan, compelling preliminary data, and consideration of potential pitfalls. The awards are not venture philanthropy for start-up companies.
