About the RMCR Award
The Euretina Retinal Medicine Clinical Research Award is an annual initiative sponsored by Euretina to support and encourage independent clinical research in the field of retinal medicine.
Clinician or non-clinician researchers, in a hospital or laboratory-based setting may conduct several types of clinical research, such as observational research studies, register studies (patient or disease registry), natural history / epidemiological studies, phase IV studies (post-authorisation safety studies, “PASS”), genomic research studies, pharmacovigilance studies, retrospective case-control studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses and several other types of clinical studies.
The maximum budget that can be requested is €300,000 for up to two years. Appropriate justification is essential.
The competition is open to all clinicians and researchers, who hold Euretina membership on the closing date (1st December 2025). Applicants must hold a full time clinical/research post at an EU-based clinical or academic centre including Horizon Europe associated countries and Switzerland. Please see further eligibility criteria below.
*(Iceland, Norway, Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and United Kingdom)
The Purpose of the RMCR Award
– To support, encourage and fund individuals that actively conduct clinical research in the field of retinal medicine.
– To facilitate and support an independent culture of clinical study for the ultimate benefit of patients with retinal disease.
– To engage and encourage the networking potential of the ophthalmic clinical community across the EU (and Horizon Europe associated countries and Switzerland) to improve both patient care and outcomes.
Application Criteria
Principal Applicants must:
– Hold a full-time or affiliated post with an established EU-based (and Horizon Europe associated countries, UK and Switzerland) clinical or academic research institute
– Be a clinician or researcher who holds Euretina membership on the closing date (1st December 2025)
– Not be members of the Euretina Executive, or members of the Board. [Please note that (with the exception of the President, the President Elect, the General Secretary, and the Past President, who are ineligible to be involved in a project in any capacity) Board Members are permitted to be involved in a project as informal collaborators only.] Informal collaborators do not receive funding.
– Not have previously been awarded funding through the Euretina Retinal Medicine Clinical Research Award Programme. (Please note that previous recipients are permitted to be involved in a project as informal collaborators only.] Informal collaborators do not receive funding.)
– Have demonstrable prior experience in the conduct of clinical research in the field of retinal medicine and hold demonstrable GCP experience
– Be familiar and experienced with the administrative, insurance and regulatory requirements for the conduct of EU-based clinical research studies
Review Panel
Prof. Camiel Boon
THE NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam Medical University Medical Center and Leiden University
Prof. Amani Fawzi
USA
Northwestern University
Prof. Tim Jackson
UK
King’s College London
Prof. Matus Rehak
AUSTRIA
Medical University of Innsbruck
Dr. Boris V. Stanzel
GERMANY
University of Bonn
Prof. David Steel
UK
Newcastle University
Prof. Gabriele Thumann
SWITZERLAND
University of Geneva
How do I Apply?
Please fill out the form to submit an expression of interest for the Euretina Research Medicine Clinical Research Award. All eligible Expressions-of-Interest will be evaluated by the Euretina Research Medicine Clinical Research Award Review Panel, from which shortlisted entries will be invited to submit a full proposal.
Timeline
28th October 2025
– Launch date
1st December 2025
– Deadline for Expression of Interest
April 2026
– Shortlisted candidates announced
June 2026
– Deadline for receipt of shortlisted full applications
Any queries prior to submission of an Expression-of-Interest application should be directed to [email protected]
Terms and Conditions
(a) I/We hold a full-time or affiliated post with an established EU-based (and Horizon Europe associated countries and Switzerland) clinical or research institute, as named on my/our Expression-of-Interest submission. I/we understand that requests for contributions to the salary of the Principal Applicant are ineligible.
(b) I/We have demonstrable prior experience in the conduct of non-interventional clinical research in the field of retinal medicine and hold demonstrable GCP experience.
(c) I am/We are familiar and experienced with the administrative, insurance and regulatory requirements for the conduct of EU-based clinical research studies.
(d) As Principal Applicant(s), I/we hold Euretina membership on the closing date (1st December 2025). My/Our Euretina membership number(s)-is(are) is included on my/our Expression-of-Interest submission.
(e) I/We understand that Expressions-of-Interest will be evaluated by the Euretina Retinal Medicine Clinical Research Award Review panel, who will generate a short-list of applicants to be invited to submit a full application to Euretina. All decisions on Expressions-of-Interest and short-listed proposals made by Euretina shall be final and no correspondence will be entered into in relation to decisions made.
(f) I/We understand that resubmission of an application from previous rounds of the EURETINA Retinal Medicine Clinical Research Award is not permitted.
(g) I/We understand that members of the Euretina Executive and members of the Euretina board are not eligible to apply as Principal Applicants or formal collaborators. Board Members (with the exception of the President, the President Elect, the General Secretary and the Past President who are ineligible to be involved in a project in any capacity) are permitted to be involved in a project as informal collaborators. Informal collaborators do not receive funding.
(h) I understand that awardees from previous rounds of the Euretina Retinal Medicine Clinical Research Award Programme are ineligible to apply. Previous awardees are permitted to be involved in a project as informal collaborators only. Informal collaborators do not receive funding.
(i) As Principal Applicant, I understand that I am eligible to submit only one Expression-of-Interest and that I am eligible to be involved in other projects as an informal collaborator only. Informal collaborators do not receive funding.
(j) I/We understand that no more than two Principal Applicants may be named on an Expression-of-Interest.