Researchers in glaucoma have until 31 May 2022 to apply for Glaucoma Australia’s annual ‘Quinlivan’ Research Grants, with the successful recipient/s to be announced on World Sight Day, Thursday 13 October 2022.
The William A Quinlivan Research Fund was established in 2006 by the late Mr Marcus Quinlivan in honour of his father. Since the fund was created, Glaucoma Australia has committed over $1.5 million towards glaucoma research which improves quality of life for people diagnosed with glaucoma through better detection, treatment, and monitoring.
The organisation will invest up to $200,000 in this funding round and anticipates between one and four grants will be awarded. All projects are to be completed within three years of grant allocation and seed fund grants can be used to apply for further funding with National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) or other agencies.
“We are very proud to continue to fund high quality Australian glaucoma research that supports our mission to prevent sight loss by increasing early detection and improving treatment adherence,” Glaucoma Australia CEO Ms Annie Gibbins said.
The Glaucoma Australia ‘Quinlivan’ Research Grants are awarded following rigorous evaluation, based largely on the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) process, along with peer review, to ensure that the successful applicants meet the highest standards.
Submissions are reviewed by the Glaucoma Australia Independent Research Panel consisting of internationally recognised experts in glaucoma research including the fields of ophthalmology, optometry and pharmacy.
To apply, click here.
Last year’s winner
Professor Ewa Goldys, a UNSW researcher from the university’s Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, was awarded the 2021 ‘Quinlivan’ Research Grant to develop a novel imaging technology for the early detection and monitoring of glaucoma.
The imaging innovation obtains information about the health status of the retina and the optic nerve, providing the opportunity for early disease detection and the ability to commence treatment before irreversible blindness sets in.
A world-leading biomedical engineer, Goldys and medical and data scientists with complementary skill sets, are working with internationally recognised glaucoma clinician-scientists Professor Andrew White and Professor Robert Casson, to lead the interdisciplinary project from the lab to clinic.
“Our approach termed fluorescent hyperspectral imaging (fHSI) has the genuine potential to produce a paradigm shift in ophthalmic practice in a similar manner to how optical coherence tomography (OCT) became a commonplace clinical imaging tool in glaucoma management,” Goldys said.
“We believe this technology will be particularly useful in the early detection of glaucoma and its subsequent monitoring.”
More reading
New glaucoma imaging tech wins 2021 ‘Quinlivan’ Research Grant
Quinlivan grant 2020 goes beyond ‘how and why’ of glaucoma research
The future of glaucoma detection and monitoring