Funding of Small Projects

The PRO RETINA Foundation supports small-scale projects in retinal research nationwide with one-time grants of up to €6,000. Funding is provided for conference travel involving presentations or poster sessions, publication costs, as well as participant compensation for clinical studies. Eligible applicants include educational institutions and private individuals working in the field of retinal degenerations. Applicants must submit a project description, the conference program, an abstract of the presentation or poster, and a cost overview. Applications below the maximum amount can be submitted at any time, whereas higher funding requests must be submitted by February 15. Decisions are made promptly by the foundation’s board based on the degree of innovation, relevance to retinal research, and the expected therapeutic benefits for affected individuals.

The funding objective is to enable innovative preliminary work for larger research proposals and thereby advance the development of new therapies for retinal degenerations. The program particularly targets researchers at universities, clinics, and research institutions who wish to present their results to an international professional audience through conference appearances or plan publications and participant recruitment for clinical studies. The PRO RETINA Foundation places great importance on direct benefits for affected individuals and only supports projects with demonstrated therapeutic relevance. Upon approval, proof of use and, if applicable, scientific reports must be submitted; for longer-term projects, regular interim reports are required. Through this small project funding, the foundation makes a decisive contribution to accelerating research initiatives in retinal research.