2021 Focus Areas


The key focus areas for 2021 are:


  • New Technologies for Prediction, Prevention, and Treatment of Myopia, including:
    • Understanding the Impact of Environmental Factors and the COVID-19 Pandemic on Myopia Progression 
    • Novel Monitoring and Tracking Methods 


  • Sustainable Materials and Technologies for Storage and Transport of Contact Lenses and Contact Lens Care Solutions


  • Contact Lens Technologies aimed at Protecting the Eye from Common Ocular Conditions (Age-related Changes, Dry Eye, Digital Eye Fatigue, and Environmental Insults), with emphasis on:
    • Beneficial Ocular Health Compounds for Delivery to the Ocular Surface 
    • Controlled Release Technologies to Improve Ocular Moisture Retention / Eye Health
    • Wavelength-blocking/Color Additive Technologies
    • Understanding Scleral Lens Benefits for Dry Eye and Allergies
    • Other Medical Applications of Contact Lenses


  • Technologies to Elevate Visual Performance with Contact Lenses, with emphasis on:
    • Enhanced Night Vision
    • Technologies to Improve the Optical Quality of the Tear Film
    • Technologies to Increase Contrast and/or Reduce Light Scatter



Award Types

Research proposals may span proof-of-concept through translational stages. For this purpose, two types of awards are offered:

CooperVision Seedling Award
The CooperVision Seedling Award is intended to incentivize collaborations with CooperVision in a new research area for a one-year period. The maximum total cash amount for a CooperVision seedling is $100,000.

CooperVision Translational Research Award
The CooperVision Translational Research Award is a multi-year award for a substantive translational research project with funding over two years, totaling up to $400,000.


Applicant Eligibility


Any researcher with Principal Investigator (PI) status holding a MD, OD, or PhD is eligible to apply. Applicants, such as postdoctoral fellows, with a waiver of PI status must submit appropriate documentation before funding can be received.


To Apply

Submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI)

Applicants must submit a LOI before June 25, 2021.  If the LOI is accepted, applicants will be notified and invited to submit a full proposal.

Proposal Submission
Upon approval of the LOI, applicants may submit a full proposal. The complete proposal must be submitted by the deadline August 31, 2021.

Please note that animal model proposal studies will not be accepted for 2021 Science & Technology Awards


Please contact STAward@coopervision.com with questions.


CooperVision will make an effort to limit access to the LOIs and full proposals to CooperVision employees involved in implementing the Science & Technology Award.  However, due to the numbers received, CooperVision will not enter into a confidentiality agreement as a condition for receipt of a LOI or full proposal.   Therefore, applicants should take care to exclude confidential information from their submissions.  


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