Fighting Blindness Career Development Award 2026: Call Now Open!
Fighting Blindness is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the 2026 Career Development Award.
Image Description: A graphic announcing the “Fighting Blindness Career Development Award 2026” on an orange background next to a photo of a scientist in a laboratory working with a microscope and test tubes.
The award supports early-stage researchers and clinicians working in vision research by providing funding for:
• Attendance at an official training course (in-person or virtual)
• Training in another laboratory on a specific technique(s)
• Presentation of research at national or international conferences/workshops (in-person or virtual). Our awardees have participated in prominent conferences, including ARVO.
• International networking and collaboration activities
All activities must be in the area of vision loss specifically in the areas of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) or age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Applications in diabetic retinopathy will also be considered.
As part of the review process, applications are assessed by our dedicated PPI Review Panel, which is made up of individuals with lived experience of sight loss. Panel members work alongside scientific reviewers to evaluate applications and contribute to funding decisions, ensuring that supported research addresses the needs, priorities and experiences of the vision-loss community. The PPI Review Panel was established through the Fighting Blindness Visually Impaired Person’s (V.I.P.) Network. To learn more about the V.I.P. Network, please click here.
For full details, please review our Guidelines for Applicants
This will be our fifth round of Career Development Awards. Learn more about the 2025 award recipients here.
Anna Ridgeway, a recipient of the award in 2025:
“With the career development award from Fighting Blindness Ireland, I travelled to Nijmegen in the Netherlands for a secondment in Professor Susanne Roosing’s laboratory. Professor Roosing and her team are world-leading experts in eye genetics, and I had the opportunity to work with them in the prestigious Radboud University Medical Centre. As part of this fantastic opportunity, I completed training on the analysis of single molecule molecular inversion probe sequencing. This is a test used to analyse the DNA of patients. Learning this new technique has added to my skillset and enabled me to network with Professor Roosing and her team for future collaborations.”
Funding available
The maximum total funding available for the award is €1,500. Eligible costs include registration, travel, accommodation, subsidence and activity costs.
The activity must take place between January 2027 and December 2027.
Applicants can apply for funding for more than one activity, but costs must be no more than €1,500 total. For example, an applicant can apply to attend a vision research-related training course and also to present at national/international conferences/workshops once the budget does not exceed €1,500 and it is clear how these activities will be of benefit to their career development.
Please see Use of Funds Guidelines before completing budget section.
Eligibility Criteria
Open to:
• PhD students
• Early career stage postdoctoral researchers
• Early career stage clinicians
Please see the guidelines for the eligibility criteria for applicants. We strongly recommend that you read the guidelines to be made aware of all requirements.
Timelines
Below is an indicative timeline for the award.
| Applications open | Tuesday 01st September 2026 |
| Deadline for submission | 5pm, 26th October 2026 |
| Review | November – December 2026 |
Application Process
Please use the Application Form which you can download from this page. Use one application form even if applying for funding for more than one activity. The associated documents can also be downloaded from this page.
Completed application forms should be sent to research@fightingblindness.ie in Word format by the deadline of 5pm, 26th October 2026.
Checklist for submission:
• Application form
• Applicant CV (using Fighting Blindness applicant CV template)
• Host Institute Declaration of Support (using Fighting Blindness Declaration of Support template)
• Host PI Letter of Support (only needed for applications for training on specific techniques in a laboratory)
Contact
If you have any questions please contact our Research department via email at research@fightingblindness.ie.
Documents
• Fighting Blindness Career Development Award Guidelines 2026
• Career Development Award Application Form
• Fighting Blindness Use of Funds
• Declaration of Support Template