Knights Templar Eye Foundation 2022 ARVO Travel Grants

The Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. (KTEF) has partnered with the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) to fund travel grants to assist student/trainee members to attend ARVO’s annual meeting.  Travel grants provide partial travel support to investigators who have an accepted abstract with a high score and whose research findings in the abstract are of high interest to the vison and ophthalmology research community allowing them to attend the ARVO annual meeting.  The annual meeting provides a unique opportunity for trainees and early career investigators to discuss their research with leaders in their fields and to receive encouragement to continue their work.  For some ARVO members, travel grants make the difference in whether they can attend the annual meeting to present their research.

ARVO is the largest and most respected eye and vision research organization in the world.  It includes nearly 12,000 researchers from over 75 countries.  ARVO advances research worldwide toward understanding the visual system and preventing, treating, and curing its disorders.

The KTEF grant allowed ARVO to award an additional 95 travel grants in 2022, an increase of nearly 21%, for a total of nearly 462 grants for the year.  For more than half a century, the KTEF has funded research grants with the goal of improving and preserving vision.  As our Foundation has grown since its inception in 1955, it has expanded the number and size of grants and has commenced new initiatives in ophthalmology research and education.  The Foundation’s research grants are targeted to new research by those in the early stages of their careers.

The Foundation is committed to funding travel grants for ARVO.  The Foundation believes this is an ideal expansion of our funding concept.  By stretching out a helping hand to those starting their careers, the Foundation hopes to encourage and expedite successful careers advancing the cause of vison loss.  Providing funding for travel grants helps the Foundation fulfill its mission to improve vison through research, education, and supporting access to care.

Representing the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. at this year’s ARVO Annual meeting held in Denver, Colorado.  

Pictured above with the travel grant recipients are Jeffrey A Bolstad, Vice President and Trustee, Robert W. Bigley, Assistant Secretary of the Foundation.