Careers and Training

Vision Science Training Outside NIH

Vision Science Graduate Program, University of California, Berkeley: Offers MS and PhD degree programs that stress the interdisciplinary nature of vision science research through a broad exposure to the basic concepts and techniques used in various specialized fields. Trainees may be engaged in either or both laboratory and patient based research.

Graduate Program in Vision Science for Clinician Scientists, University of California, Berkeley: The U.C. Berkeley Graduate Program in Vision Science has training opportunities for individuals wishing to develop careers as clinician scientists. A NEI Training Grant provides support for three O.D., M.D., or other clinical doctorates, working towards a Ph.D. in Vision Science. The Training Grant offers three years of competitive support for each trainee, tuition/fees and health insurance, as well as a conference travel allotment. Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents to be eligible for NIH funding. Descriptions of the faculty's research interests with email addresses and links to their websites can be accessed from the Vision Science Homepage (http://vision.berkeley.edu). Please contact the Program Administrator, Ms. Fran Stone (510/642-9804; fbstone@uclink.Berkeley.EDU) if you have questions. Applications to the Graduate Program should be received by January 26, 2004

Post-Residency Programs for Clinicians: NEI supports post-residency programs that provide research training for up to 5 years in Departments of Ophthalmology. These Clinician-Scientist programs are designated: K08, K23, or K12, and consist of 80% or more protected time to learn and carry out research under a senior mentor. The programs are perfect for young physicians who have the motivation and aptitude to answer unsolved clinical problems and who enjoy scientific investigation and teaching. Training may be planned by contacting a participating Department to determine the areas in which research training is available. Candidates work with one or more senior mentors to plan training and to write a grant proposal that is evaluated by a committee at the Center for Scientific Review (which reviews most NIH grant proposals). Residents should speak to their chairperson about this opportunity. A list of present K awards can be found at: http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/. Select the query icon box. In the query form: under Activity, pick "Research Career (K)" and, under Institutes and Centers pick "NEI". By submitting the query, you get a listing of present awardees and their projects. For information from the National Eye Institute, contact Chyren Hunter, PhD, (clh@nei.nih.gov), head of Research Training and Career Development. See also NEI's web site http://www.nei.nih.gov/funding/neifm.asp. This describes other training opportunities, including the T32 and F32 programs.

Funding Mechanisms Supported by NEI: A list of NEI supported grants and fellowships and necessary application information

For additional information, contact:
Gretchen S. Wood
(301) 451-6763
woodgs@nei.nih.gov