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EBAA High Impact Research Grant

Eye Bank Association of America

Description

To advance innovation and knowledge in sight restoration, eye banking and cornea transplantation, EBAA provides up to $100,000 in grants each year to fund research in an area of interest to the profession. In 2026, the EBAA High Impact Research Grant will fund one proposal focused on “Pharmacological Agents to Enhance Corneal Endothelial Cell Health” up to $50,000. This funding opportunity is in addition to the smaller research grants that are awarded each year.

Application Deadline: July 31, 2026

Grant Cycle: December 1, 2026 – December 31, 2027

Maximum Award Amount: $50,000

Application Requirements

All complete proposals should include:
- A completed application form that includes a detailed descriptions of the proposed research.
- Curriculum vitae or NIH biosketch for the Principal Investigator and Scientific Supervisor.
- Itemized budget that follows the guidelines listed above.
Applicants in training, eye-bank technicians, and nurses must submit a letter from the scientific supervisor regarding his or her capabilities and time support for completing the proposed research study.
Applicants who are not Paton Society members or who are not affiliated with an EBAA eye bank must submit a letter of support from a Paton Society member or the Medical Director of an EBAA eye bank; this letter must address the applicant’s capabilities for carrying out the research and the available facilities.

Application Submission

Applications must be submitted using the online portal below and include these six components:

Background and Specific Aims of the project (1 page limit)
Significance and Innovation (1 page limit)
Methods / Approach (3 page limit)
Qualifications & Environment (1 page limit)
References (2 page limit)
Budget (1 page limit)

Selection Process

All applications will be reviewed by the EBAA Research Committee and the selected project will be subject to Board approval. Awards will be made on the basis of scientific merit according to current funding capabilities. Recipients will be notified and announced in October 2026.

The grant proposals are critiqued on the following parameters:

Significance and Innovation
- Relevance of the proposed research to the aforementioned research emphasis areas
- Likelihood to produce translatable research findings and/or to provide basis for further research
Approach
- Logic of aims and feasibility
- Rigor and reproducibility – adequacy of experimental procedures
Investigators
- Qualifications of investigator(s) to conduct proposed research
Environment
- Availability of essential resources and support of institution
Protection of human subjects, animals, or environment
- Adequacy of protection, where relevant
Budget
- Adequate justification for proposed expenditures

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Direct relevance to eye banking and/or corneal transplantation (highest predictor)

This is the biggest screening factor.

EBAA states that its Pilot Research Grants are intended for proposals “specifically concerned with issues directly related to eye banking and/or corneal transplantation.”

Strong topics commonly include:

corneal transplantation outcomes
donor cornea preservation and storage
corneal endothelial cell biology
donor tissue evaluation
eye bank processing methods
transplantation techniques
ocular tissue utilization
AI or imaging tools for eye banking

Projects outside core eye banking/cornea science are generally less competitive.

2. Significance and innovation of the proposal (very high predictor)

For the High Impact Research Grant, EBAA explicitly lists “significance and innovation” as a scoring criterion.

Competitive projects usually demonstrate:

a clinically important problem
a novel idea or method
potential to improve eye banking practice or sight restoration
strong translational value

Recent funded examples include work on AI-driven donor endothelial cell image analysis, which suggests EBAA values innovative technology with practical application.

3. Pilot nature / potential to generate future research

EBAA clearly notes preference for:

“pilot projects, well-defined short-term protocols, and initial studies directed toward new research initiatives.”

This means strong proposals often:

generate preliminary data
test a new concept
validate a method
serve as proof-of-concept for later larger funding

Seed-stage projects are especially well aligned.

4. Feasibility and strong study design

EBAA evaluates logic of aims and feasibility as part of review.

Successful proposals usually show:

focused aims
realistic timeline (typically 1 year)
appropriate methods
clear experimental procedures
practical recruitment/sample strategy
achievable milestones

The project needs to be ambitious but realistic within the grant period.

5. Investigator qualifications and mentorship

EBAA explicitly reviews:

qualifications of investigator(s)
ability to conduct the proposed work
scientific supervision where relevant

Strong applicants often show:

ophthalmology/cornea/eye banking expertise
previous research productivity
prior presentations/publications
mentorship by an experienced corneal surgeon or vision scientist

For trainees, EBAA specifically requests supervisor support documentation.

6. Institutional resources and access to tissue/materials

Because many projects depend on donor ocular tissue, access to infrastructure matters a lot.

Competitive proposals often demonstrate:

access to an eye bank
donor corneal tissue availability
lab facilities
imaging/pathology resources
institutional support for specimen handling and analysis

EBAA explicitly reviews availability of resources and institutional support.

7. Rigor, reproducibility, and future dissemination

EBAA also reviews:

rigor and reproducibility of methods
ethical protections
budget justification

Awardees are expected to:

submit progress reports
present findings at an EBAA meeting
acknowledge EBAA in publications

So proposals with a clear publication/presentation pathway tend to be stronger.

Specialties

Ophthalmology

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible applicants include:
- Physicians, including corneal surgeons and other eye care specialists
- Basic scientists, including biomedical and social scientists
- Eye-bank technicians, nurses, postgraduate fellows, ophthalmology residents, and medical students who are supervised by a physician or basic scientist associated with an eye bank or academic institution
Applicants must provide assurance that research protocols comply with appropriate ethical guidelines for the use of experimental animals and human subjects.
The proposed project is not currently being funded by another granting agency.
Proposed budgets must adhere to the following:
- Total budget must be limited to $50,000.
- Salary support, travel and indirect costs for the principal investigator must not be included in the budget costs.
- Financial support is provided for consumable supplies and equipment necessary for the proposed investigation. No more than 40% of the funds, not to exceed $10,000, may be used for major equipment purchases.
Limit of 2 applications per Principal Investigator or Scientific Supervisor.
Principal Investigators who received a 2026 EBAA Pilot Research Grant are able to apply if the grant was for research on a different topic. Principal investigators who have received an EBAA Pilot Research Grant on this topic in the past are eligible for consideration if the project was successful and the funds are required to build upon the research. If a principal investigator receives the EBAA High Impact Research Grant, that individual is not eligible for the Pilot Research Grant in the same topic area.
An individual organization/institution is only eligible to receive up to two EBAA scientific research grants in one year.
Research awards for the EBAA High Impact Research Grant are designated for a one-year interval (December 1, 2026 – December 31, 2027) and are made available in one payment. Unexpended and unobligated funds remaining after the one-year grant period should be returned to the EBAA. Renewal applications will not be accepted.
All are welcome to submit a grant proposal. Selected recipients will be required to join the Paton Society or be affiliated with an EBAA member eye bank.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Eye Bank Association of America

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: PO Box 220035 Chantilly, VA 20151 phone 202.775.4999 fax 202.429.6036

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