Scholarships, awards and prizes

2025 Keeler Scholarship

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists is delighted to announce that applications are now open for the 2025 Keeler Scholarship.

PURPOSE

To enable the Keeler Scholar, for the subsequent benefit of ophthalmology in the UK, to study, research or acquire special skills, knowledge or experience at a suitable location in the United Kingdom or elsewhere for a minimum period of six months.

VALUE

Up to £30,000.

SPONSORING COMPANY

Keeler Limited.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must be Fellows, Members or Affiliates of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, those Fellows, Members and Affiliates being in good standing.

Potential applicants who have received substantial (usually meaning amounts greater than the value of the scholarship) funding for their project are not eligible for the Keeler Scholarship.

The Trustees will give special consideration to candidates intending to make a career in ophthalmology in the United Kingdom.

Applicants may apply retrospectively but should not be more than 3 months into the fellowship for which they are applying for support by 8 September 2025 (application closing date).

The closing date for applications is Monday 8 September 2025.

Further details, and the application form, can be found here.

2025 Zakarian Awards

Co-funded with our partner Fight For Sight, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists is pleased to announce the 2025  Zakarian Awards.

Up to £25,000 is available for up to one year, to fund a research project which allows College members to develop their research experience and skills which may lead to future opportunities.

• Maximum funding: £25,000
• Duration: 1 year
• Deadline: 18 June 2025

Further information

The Zakarian Awards are designed to support three categories of researchers:

• Ophthalmology trainees not in the IATS or other research training posts seeking to undertake research. Support can be sought for consumables, equipment and open access dissemination and for salary support to buy ‘time out’ from a training programme to undertake research.
• Consultants or SAS ophthalmologists holding NHS substantive contracts and without dedicated research time (PAs in job plan). Those holding academic posts/contracts are ineligible. Support can be sought for buying out time in the job plan for research, or for consumables or equipment to establish a research project.
• Academic Clinical Fellow (NIHR IATS ACF) Ophthalmology trainees seeking to prepare preliminary/pilot data to develop their proposed PhD projects and/or doctoral research training funding applications. Support can be sought for consumables, equipment and open access dissemination.

We are especially keen to support those without any or very limited prior research experience and/or those not in academic posts in order to help them get started in research, in in line with RCOphth’s position statement on Ophthalmic Research By All.

Timeline

• Applications open – 9 April 2025
• Deadline – 18 June 2025
• Stage 1 outcome – August 2025
• Interviews (Stage 2 invited applicants) – 3 September 2025
• Funding outcome shared with applicants – September 2025

Eligibility

• Lead applicants must be members of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.
• Applicants with no or limited prior research experience are especially welcome to apply.
• As this scheme is designed for ophthalmologists to gain research skills, the lead applicant should be carrying out most of the work.
• Proposals to ‘top up’ existing research funding are not eligible, but ‘bolt-on’ projects to a larger, existing piece of work are permitted.
• Lead applicants must be affiliated with UK academic or medical institutions
• The research must take place within the UK.
• Applications are limited to one per lead applicant.
• The Mentor (rather than the lead applicant) is required to have a contract of employment at the host institution which extends beyond the end date of the award.

Financial support

Funding is made in line with AMRC’s position statement on supporting research in universities.

Application process

All applications must be submitted via Fight for Sight’s Grant Tracker system. New applicants must register for an account to access the application form. Returning applicants can login to their existing account.

You must submit your application for approval by the stated deadline for your submission to be processed.

Your application will require approval from two authorised signatories of the host institution (Head of Department and Finance Office) following application submission on grant tracker. We allow 48 hours (two days) from the deadline for approvals. It is recommended to seek the appropriate signatories as early as possible, as these must be added when you submit your application. Please consider any annual leave and double check email addresses, as applications with outstanding approvals 48 hours past the deadline will not be processed.

Further information can be found here.

Go to Grant Tracker

The following awards are offered to examination candidates on an annual basis. Please direct any queries regarding these awards to [email protected]

Crombie Medal = Awarded for the highest mark in Part 1 FRCOphth on first attempt (October-April/May).

Elizabeth Hunt Medal = Awarded for the highest mark in Refraction Certificate on first attempt (for the previous year December/January to July).

Harcourt Medal = Awarded for the highest mark in Part 2 Oral on first attempt (November to April).

Dr Sadhu Ram Gupta Award = Highest mark in Part 2 Oral for overseas candidates only.