Research Fellowships (Foreign Stay)

The PRO RETINA Foundation for the Prevention of Blindness supports time- and content-limited projects in Germany or abroad with its research scholarships, which serve the investigation of retinal degenerations and related issues. These small scholarships enable early-career researchers and doctoral candidates to specifically learn new methods, familiarize themselves with specialized research areas, and acquire experimental techniques. The support is provided as a monthly grant of €1,500 over a period of 24 to 36 months. For projects with a total volume under €6,000, applications can be submitted at any time; for higher amounts, the deadline is February 15 of a calendar year. Following positive evaluation by the Scientific-Medical Advisory Board, a decision is usually made by June 30.

Eligible for funding are private individuals with a completed university degree who plan an independent or supervised research project under the guidance of a qualified mentor in the field of retinal degeneration or related topics. Evaluation focuses particularly on the therapeutic relevance, the expected benefit for affected individuals, and the professional qualifications of the applicants. The PRO RETINA Foundation exclusively provides scholarship payments and places great importance on funded projects generating new impulses in retinal research. Interested researchers can find detailed funding criteria and application documents in the Foundation’s current research funding guidelines.