Ophthalmic research

Guide Dogs is one of the largest charitable funders of ophthalmic research in the UK, and each year we award a number of research grants to projects selected through open competition.

We are committed to funding high quality research that:

• may lead to better diagnosis or treatment to aid the preservation of sight, and prevent further visual loss in people who are blind or partially-sighted; or
• encourages developments in ophthalmology (including optometry) that may lead to a clinical application within a reasonable time frame.

The preservation and enhancement of sight is one of Guide Dogs primary research goals, and our ophthalmic research programme plays a key part in supporting that goal and informing our services, policy and campaigns activity.

Projects currently funded include those of a medical nature, for example looking at retinal abnormalities, or investigating the specifics of diseases such as glaucoma and diabetes, and non-clinical projects such as the funding of a surveillance unit to monitor the more unusual causes of sight loss across the UK.

Download the Ophthalmic Research Update 2010 pdf or word and intro letter pdf or intro letter word