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Travel Grants

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Travel grant recipients have their meeting registration fees covered for the ARVO Annual Meeting as well receive a partial travel stipend. Notifications are sent to travel grant recipients prior to the registration deadline. Recipients must have an accepted abstract for the upcoming ARVO Annual Meeting to be considered.

Travel grants are provided to those whose research findings in the abstract are considered to be of high interest to the vision and ophthalmology research community. The ARVO Annual Meeting provides a unique opportunity for trainees and early career investigators to discuss their research with leaders in their fields and receive encouragement to continue their work.

Travel grants are funded by the ARVO Foundation through the generosity of ARVO members and supporting organizations.

How to apply

Travel Grant application is part of the abstract submission process.
An abstract must be submitted and accepted for the upcoming Annual Meeting to be eligible for any of the Travel Grants (Abstract submission for ARVO 2027 is open Oct. 16 - Dec. 4, 2026). A panel of recognized experts review and score accepted abstracts. The recipients are selected based on grant criteria and reviewer scores.
Travel Grant recipients are notified by the first week of March.

The funding amount

Travel grants cover Annual Meeting registration fees for all recipients and a stipend to help cover travel expenses is included.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

These predictors synthesize ARVO's published award descriptions and the purpose of its research funding programs. They are not a universal official numerical scoring rubric.

1

★★★★★

Direct relevance to eye and vision research — Critical

Address a meaningful question in ophthalmology, visual neuroscience, retinal disease, glaucoma, corneal disorders, ocular immunology or visual function. The project should fit the specific award's research focus.

2

★★★★★

Scientific innovation and originality — Critical

Present a novel hypothesis, technique, discovery or conceptual advance that addresses an important gap in vision science. For translational awards, show how the discovery could lead to clinical application.

3

★★★★★

Scientific merit and methodological rigor — Critical

Define clear aims, a strong rationale, suitable methods, meaningful endpoints and appropriate analysis. Explain how the proposed experiments or clinical studies will test the central hypothesis.

4

★★★★★

Potential to advance vision science or patient care — Critical

Explain the potential contribution to understanding eye disease, preventing vision loss, improving diagnosis or treatment, or advancing visual function. For basic research, make the scientific significance explicit even if clinical application is long-term.

5

★★★★☆

Investigator potential and career-stage fit — Very high

Demonstrate research productivity, relevant skills and promise appropriate to the award. Early-career programs particularly value evidence that the applicant can develop an independent research direction.

ARVO

6

★★★★☆

Feasibility and appropriate resources — Very high

Match the scope to the award period and budget. Demonstrate access to the necessary instrumentation, patient cohorts, biological models, data, collaborators and technical expertise.

7

★★★★☆

Mentorship and research environment — Very high

For mentored and career-development awards, identify an appropriate mentor and explain how the institutional environment will strengthen the applicant's scientific skills, independence and research opportunities.

8

★★★★☆

Collaboration and international research capacity — High

Demonstrate how collaboration contributes expertise, infrastructure or knowledge exchange. This is particularly important for the ARVO Foundation Collaborative Research Fellowship, which connects researchers from developing countries with established scientists.

ARVO

9

★★★☆☆

Potential for future research and dissemination — High

Explain how results will be shared through publications, conference presentations or follow-on studies, and how the work may establish a platform for larger grants or continuing collaborations.

10

★★★★☆

Eligibility and application compliance — Essential gate

Meet the award-specific membership, career-stage, age, geographic, abstract or nomination requirements. ARVO's programs differ substantially: some support research, others travel or recognition rather than direct project costs.

ARVO

Ranked summary table

Rank	Predictor	Importance
1	Eye and vision research relevance	Critical
2	Innovation and originality	Critical
3	Scientific rigor	Critical
4	Scientific or clinical impact	Critical
5	Investigator potential	Very high
6	Feasibility and resources	Very high
7	Mentorship and research environment	Very high
8	Collaboration and international capacity	High
9	Dissemination and future research	High
10	Eligibility and compliance	Essential gate

Specialties

Ophthalmology

Eligibility Requirements

Travel grants are awarded to those who:

are in full-time training or completed after June 2022 – individuals enrolled full-time as undergraduate, graduate, optometry or medical students at institutions of higher learning in a scientific field related to vision or ophthalmology. Student status will be verified.
meet the criteria set forth in individual travel grants
who have not previously received any of the following*:
- any ARVO Annual Meeting Travel Grant whether supported by ARVO, The ARVO Foundation for Eye Research, or a third party such as NEI, Retina Research Foundation, etc.
- an International Chapter Affiliate-supported travel grant to the ARVO Annual Meeting
- a Developing Country Eye Researcher Travel Fellowship (DCERF) award

* An exception is our new Research Career Travel Award which provides funding for up to 10 abstract presenters who have previously received a travel grant from ARVO/ARVO Foundation.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 5515 Security Lane, Suite 500, Rockville, MD 20852

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