Innovative Research Leading to a Cure

Through the Shaffer Grants, Glaucoma Research Foundation invests in a wide variety of projects that increase scientific understanding of glaucoma.

The most important discoveries in scientific research often come from an investigator with a new, untested idea who needs funding to explore their project.

Glaucoma Research Foundation’s Shaffer Grants for Innovative Glaucoma Research provide that critical funding for testing new ideas in glaucoma research.

Discoveries from these one-year grants often lead to additional grants from the National Eye Institute and other major philanthropic sources of research funding to continue the investigation. On average our one year grants result in four to five times more additional funding to advance glaucoma research toward better treatments and someday, a cure.

Through the Shaffer Grants, Glaucoma Research Foundation invests in a wide variety of projects that increase scientific understanding of how to protect and restore the optic nerve, how to accurately detect glaucoma and monitor its progression, of genes that cause glaucoma, of intraocular pressure, and of the risk factors for glaucoma damage.

An independent group of scientific advisors evaluates all Shaffer Grant applications and determines which projects the Glaucoma Research Foundation will fund each year. All of the scientific advisors volunteer their time and expertise, helping to ensure that we invest in the most promising research in the fight against glaucoma. Each year the advisors carefully review the many grants submitted and select the most promising for funding. Typically 15% of the grants are funded.

It has been gratifying to see that many scientists funded through Shaffer Grants over the years have gone on to become leaders and major contributors to the field of glaucoma research.

Reviewed on May 16, 2022