Graduate Education and Research
Graduate education can lead to satisfying careers in academia and research, as well as in industry, the military, government and private practice. The chart below shows a variety of paths to graduate training. Scroll down to see descriptions of research classifications, funding opportunities, and a list of research by topic that’s going on now at optometric institutions.
For a list of graduate programs at optometry schools and colleges, click here.
For more detailed descriptions of graduate programs and enrollment figures, click here.
To watch a video to learn more about careers in optometric research, click here.
Research Classifications and Descriptions
| Research Classifications | Descriptions |
| 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 (find out where research is being conducted)
| 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 |
