Research Resources

Eye Product Assistance Center

The Eye Product Assistance Center (EPAC) is an in-kind consulting service provided by the National Eye Institute (NEI). It is available to all investigators developing regulated products for diseases or disorders of the visual system.

Investigators do not need active NEI or NIH funding to request support. Requests are granted based on alignment with the NEI mission, the level of need, and the order of submission.

The EPAC consults on product development at any stage, from proof-of-concept to clinical trials, provided the effort is intended for a regulated medical product with a specific indication. Consultant support is available for activities such as:

• Needs assessment
• Device design, and prototyping
• Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC)
• Assay development and Biostatistics
• Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) and ADME
• Toxicology and Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC)
• Regulatory affairs and operations
• Medical writing and first-in-human trial planning

Please send completed forms to NEI_extramural@nih.gov. Please include EPAC request, PI's name, and date in the subject line.

Form: Eye Product Assistance Center (EPAC) Request Form

For questions concerning the EPAC please contact tony.gover@nih.gov.

Center Core Grant Program

The NEI Center Core Grant Program (P30) provides funds for infrastructure support to NEI grantees. The purpose of this program is to afford resource and/or service cores to groups of NEI R01 investigators to enhance research activity, foster collaborations, and increase efficiencies by centralizing resources and technical expertise within a department/institution.

Key elements of the program are as follows:

• Requires a minimum of 8 active NEI-funded R01s
• Organized around discrete units or Cores that are managed through an Administrative Core led by the Principal Investigator
• Combines 3 or more Resource/Service Cores each led by a Director with appropriate expertise
• Offers shared equipment through each of the Resource Cores and serves technical expertise needs through the Service Cores
• Encourages institutional departments to contribute to Center Core facilities
• Provides two levels of support:
  • $2 million for 5 years of support for institutions with 8-19 R01 grants
  • $2.5 million for 5 years of support for institutions with 20 or more R01 grants
• Limits number of Center Core grants to 1 per institution

Conference Grants

The NEI Conference Grant Program (R13 and U13) provides funds for scientific meetings, symposia, workshops, and other organized meetings to exchange and disseminate information or explore and clarify a defined problem or area of knowledge directly related to the mission of the NEI.

Key elements of the program are as follows:

• Requires a “permission to submit” letter application receipt date, estimated requested budget, and draft agenda for the proposed meeting
• Places its highest priority on providing funds for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and/or newly appointed faculty members to participate in meetings
• Prohibits costs for food/meals (NIH Policy on Efficient Spending Related to Grants Supporting Conferences and Meetings - NOT-OD-12-041), speakers' fees or expenses, and F&A
• Strongly encourages the appropriate representation of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in the planning, implementation, and participation in the proposed conference
• Limits eligibility to domestic institutions and organizations and gives preference to meetings held at U.S. sites
• Supports international conferences only through the U.S. representative organization of an established scientific or professional society
• Requires that all conference materials include an acknowledgement of NIH grant support