Pathways to Graduate Training
ASCO is concerned about the continuing recruitment of optometry students and optometrists into graduate programs. Traditionally, individuals with both optometric credentials and another graduate degree have formed the backbone of the faculty at optometric institutions. Some in optometric academia have expressed that an increased emphasis on medical eye care has perhaps decreased the value of graduate credentials and may have been partially supplanted by residency education, a substantial patient-based experience, or both. Likewise, the recent proliferation of new programs at universities where research is emphasized less among faculty has also altered the balance of faculty.
This new section of our website will be updated in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for future efforts of the AAC in this important area of optometry.
Research Classification and Description
| Research Classification | Description |
| Basic | Scientific research to improve understanding or prediction of phenomena |
| T0 | Basic biomedical research, including preclinical and animal studies, not including interventions with human subjects |
| T1 | Translation to humans, including proof of concept studies, Phase 1 clinical trials, and focus on new methods of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention in highly-controlled settings |
| T2 | Translation to patients, including Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials, and controlled studies leading to clinical application and evidence-based guidelines |
| T3 | Translation to practice, including comparative effectiveness research, post-marketing studies, clinical outcomes research, as well as health services, and dissemination & implementation research |
| T4 | Translation to communities, including population level outcomes research, monitoring of morbidity, mortality, benefits, and risks, and impacts of policy and change |
| Clinical | Scientific research on clinical healthcare practices to establish or implement safety and efficacy of devices, medications, or interventions. |
| Education | Scholarly activates related to improving optometric pedagogy |
Reference: https://ictr.wisc.edu/what-are-the-t0-to-t4-research-classifications/
Funding Opportunities for Graduate Study and Research
Other funding resources can be found at ARVO’s funding guide: https://www.arvo.org/journals-and-publications/arvo-funding-guide/
Optometric Research Categories
| Topic Categories | Investigator | Institution |
| Histology | ||
| Anatomy and Physiology | ||
| Molecular Biology | ||
| Systemic Diseases and the Eye | ||
| Contact Lenses | Andrew D. Pucker, OD, PhD | University of Alabama at Birmingham |
| Jeffrey Walline, OD, PhD | The Ohio State University | |
| Cornea and Anterior Segment | ||
| Dry Eye | ||
| Imaging and Instrumentation | ||
| Optics | ||
| Refractive Error | Andrew D. Pucker, OD, PhD | University of Alabama at Birmingham |
| Jeffrey Walline, OD, PhD | The Ohio State University | |
| Visual Neuroscience | ||
| Retina and Posterior Segment | ||
| Glaucoma | ||
| Optic Nerve | ||
| Pharmacology | ||
| Binocular Vision | ||
| Low Vision & Visual Development | ||
| Pediatrics | ||
| Sports Vision | ||
| Public Health | ||
| Optometric Education | ||
| Amblyopia | ||
| Acquired brain injury | ||
| Oculomotor function |
