Our Vision in Action
Help us Invest in the Future of Retina.
This is a moment of unique opportunity for the Foundation as it strives to extend its reach and expand its impact. To seize this opportunity, donor support—your support—will be key.
The Foundation has made major strides in raising awareness about retinal health and empowering patients through its See for a Lifetime public outreach initiative, public service announcements, Retina Health Fact Sheet Series, and “Got AMD” national poster campaign.
The Foundation is now launching three programs that focus on shaping the success of early-career retina specialists.
Key Initiatives: The Plans We Seek to Fund
Our funding priorities include three programs, each designed to advance the careers of aspiring retina specialists in their early years in the field.
- Travel Grants—These awards will offset part of the cost for resident members, fellows early career international members to attend ASRS’s Annual Scientific Meeting, where they can form invaluable professional relationships, learn about leading-edge developments and technology and add to the diversity of perspectives represented. With increasing travel costs and shrinking support from many sponsor institutions, these grants can make a critical difference for many who would find great value in attending. A limited number of grants will be made available each year.
- Research Grants—These named grant opportunities fund early-stage research projects, helping investigators launch their research careers and achieve proof-of-concept in order to secure larger grants. The Foundation’s research grants meet a critical need as competition for support from major public funders continues to intensify and universities limit investments. In fact, few institutions support these smaller, early-stage research projects.
- Fellowship Awards—These stipends are designed to help fellows in training cover expenses, allowing those who might not otherwise be able to accept a fellowship to see a viable pathway to a career in retina. For young physicians, the awards will provide relief at a point of unique financial stress.
A Call to Action
To expand the Foundation’s programming and positive impact, we strive to secure a new level of philanthropic investment in our mission.
A Meaningful Commitment—Providing philanthropic support to the Foundation is an opportunity for physicians who are proud to be retina specialists to give back, investing in the future of the subspecialty and in those who will make the next sight-saving breakthroughs. It also provides the chance for younger colleagues receiving support now to “pay-it-forward” by making an informal commitment to fund future awards when they are able.
The Chance to Shape Your Legacy—Endowed funds can be named to honor the donor, a loved one, or an eminent colleague or mentor. In addition, donors funding Research Grants and Fellowship Awards have considerable latitude to shape the grants they fund, including deciding the criteria for selecting recipients, the areas of research they would like to support, and more.
An Urgent Invitation—As patients who lost their sight before new treatments became available can attest, the time to invest in the future of retina and its new generation of leaders is now. Every day matters, and your support will yield benefits for years to come.
Plan Your Enduring Legacy with Foundation of the ASRS
To make your contribution or learn more about making a planned gift, donating a gift of stock, or creating a Research Grant or Fellowship Award in your name, please visit asrs.org/foundation/donate-now or email ASRS VP of Finance Shelly Vanover.
