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The Ulverscroft David Owen Award 2021 opens for applications

11 November 2020

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists is delighted to open the third Ulverscroft David Owen Award. Last year’s award went to Amy Gerrish and her co-authors from Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and the inaugural award went to Lola Solebo and her colleagues including the British Congenital Cataract Interest Group.

The Ulverscroft Foundation gives financial help to Universities which carry out research into the causes of eye diseases; funds eye clinics, hospitals, schools, libraries and other organisations which help visually impaired people. Since 2007 it has supported the Ulverscroft Vision Research Group (UVRG) at the Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health UCL, funding PhD studentships, clinical research training fellowships and academic posts in key disciplines including ophthalmic statistics, to build a hub for academic paediatric ophthalmology and visual sciences.

In memory of David Owen who chaired the Foundation during this period and shaped its relationship with the UVRG, the Foundation is offering in partnership with The Royal College of Ophthalmologists, an annual prize of £500 in recognition of high-quality research in paediatric ophthalmology and visual sciences to promote academic paediatric ophthalmology. The award recognises the team undertaking the research and is accepted on the team’s behalf by the first author.

The 2021 award will be presented at the RCOphth Annual Congress, at the ACC Liverpool 24-27 May 2021. The award winner will be expected to present a short talk at the Congress to explain the impact of the research and how it has contributed to change.

Application criteria

  • The first author and senior author should apply together
  • Either the first or lead author must be an ophthalmologist
  • At least one of the authors must be a member of the RCOphth
  • The applicants should be based and have undertaken the research reported at a British institution
  • The paper must have been published in a peer reviewed scientific journal after 1 January 2019
  • Please fill out and submit this application form using the details within

2021 award timetable

  • Applications open: 12 November 2020
  • Applications close: 8 February 2021
  • Announcement of winner: w/c 1 March 2021
  • Award made at Award Ceremony in Liverpool: 24-26 May 2021