Ophthalmology

Global estimates of visual impairments point to a major challenge globally with over one billion people suffering from blindness or moderate to severe visual impairments. Although the vast majority of affected people live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), research efforts targeting the specific challenges in these regions remain limited.

With the current ophthalmology funding program, Velux Stiftung wants to contribute to ultimately reducing visual impairments and blindness in LMICs through research funding.

The ophthalmology program at a glance

Strategic focus:

Strengthening research institutions in LMICs as a foundation for high-quality, locally relevant ophthalmology research that can ultimately improve eye health.

Velux Stiftung’s ophthalmology funding is guided by the understanding that impactful biomedical and clinical research does not happen in isolation, but depends on strong research institutions. We therefore fund institutional research capacity strengthening in LMICs as a prerequisite for producing high-quality, high-impact ophthalmology research.

By enhancing the ability of medical research institutions to attract, train, and retain scientific staff, funded projects contribute to increased research quality, quantity, and impact. Strengthened institutions are better positioned to generate biomedical and clinical evidence that is embedded in local contexts, aligned with LMIC priorities, and relevant to local eye health needs.

In the longer term, improved access to high-quality research supports better-informed clinical practice and health care delivery, contributing to innovative and effective solutions for eye health challenges in LMICs while also advancing the global scientific community.

Project type:

• Long-lasting institutional research capacity strengthening (IRCS) projects: projects aiming at sustainably building, developing, or strengthening institutional structures that enable biomedical/clinical ophthalmology research in LMICs.

By long-lasting IRCS in LMICs, Velux Stiftung means strengthening the capacity of research departments in universities and research institutions to fund, manage, and sustain themselves and their own research. These research capacities must be established / strengthened in a long-lasting manner, enabling them to be perpetuated independently after the end of the project.

Note that IRCS aspects need to be at the core of the proposal, else the application will be rejected without peer review.

Duration of the program:

• 2026-2030
• One specific call for proposals every year

Next call for proposals:  Please check all the details of the 2026 call for proposals. The general eligibility criteria of the foundation apply.

Next deadline:  01 October 2026, 23:59 CEST, with a final decision on proposals in March 2027.

Selection procedure:  All applications go through a formal screening by the foundation management. The selection of the applications that will be presented to the board is performed by a scientific committee according to our funding criteria. The foundation board of Velux Stiftung will take the final funding decision. Find the details on the procedure page.

The scientific committee is currently composed of 9 experts originating from Australia, Brazil, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Switzerland, and the UK. Their expertise covers a variety of perspectives including basic and applied ophthalmology research, research capacity strengthening for institutions, as well as transfer and implementation in LMICs.

Please find here the list of approved projects in the first years of the program.

If you are unsure about the fit of your project idea to our program, please contact us beforehand with an abstract and concrete questions why you think your project might not be eligible.