For researchers
INNOVISION is a 30-month MSCA COFUND fellowship programme designed to strengthen the careers of postdoctoral researchers in vision research.
Fellows will join an international network of leading research organisations, and a range of clinical, industrial and academic partners. The programme provides fellows with an environment that supports scientific excellence, international mobility, and career development.
Each fellow will carry out an individual research project addressing key challenges in areas such as ocular drug delivery, gene therapy, diagnostics, modelling, and patient-centred approaches to care. Projects are designed to integrate laboratory research with translational and clinical relevance, preparing fellows for roles across the research and innovation pipeline. Training is tailored to the needs of early-career researchers, combining advanced scientific skills with opportunities to develop leadership, project management, and communication capabilities.
A central feature of INNOVISION is the personalised career development plan that each fellow will complete with their supervisor and mentor. This plan will identify goals for publication, presentation, skills training, and funding applications. Fellows will receive support in grant writing, intellectual property management, and entrepreneurship, preparing them to secure independent research funding or transition into industry roles. Structured mentoring and regular progress reviews will ensure fellows are well supported in achieving their professional objectives.
INNOVISION also places a strong emphasis on building professional networks. Fellows will have access to research visits and secondments with partner organisations, allowing them to gain new skills and experience different research environments. Participation in international conferences and programme-level events will provide additional opportunities to present results and connect with peers and senior researchers. These interactions will help fellows establish collaborations that can continue beyond the duration of the fellowship.
Engagement with stakeholders is a key part of the programme. Fellows will be trained to work effectively with patient representatives, clinicians, industry partners, and policymakers. This will ensure that research outputs are relevant to end users and that fellows gain experience in collaborative research. By the conclusion of their fellowship, researchers will have developed a broad network of contacts across academia, industry, and patient organisations.
The outcome of this approach is a cohort of researchers with advanced scientific expertise, transferable skills, and strong professional connections. INNOVISION prepares fellows to take the next step in their careers with confidence, whether in academia, industry, or other sectors where innovation in health research is required.
For society
The INNOVISION COFUND Programme is designed to address some of the most pressing challenges in vision science.
Vision impairment affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and has significant personal, economic, and public health consequences. By supporting a cohort of highly skilled researchers, INNOVISION aims to accelerate the development of new solutions that improve diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of ocular diseases.
Each research project within INNOVISION is focused on generating knowledge that can be translated into better outcomes for patients and healthcare systems. Fellows will work on topics such as targeted drug delivery, regenerative approaches, disease modelling, diagnostic technologies, and health policy evaluation. This research is intended to improve the effectiveness of existing treatments, reduce treatment burden, and make therapies more accessible and sustainable for patients and healthcare providers.
The programme is designed to ensure that research responds to real needs identified by patients, clinicians, and other stakeholders. Public and patient involvement (PPI) is integrated into every stage of the research process, from project design through to dissemination of results. Fellows will gain training in how to collaborate with patient groups, health professionals, and policymakers, which will lead to research outcomes that are more relevant and more likely to be implemented in practice.
INNOVISION also strengthens the wider research and innovation ecosystem. By creating new collaborations across academia, industry, and clinical partners, the programme supports the transfer of knowledge and technology between sectors. This accelerates innovation and helps ensure that promising discoveries move efficiently from the laboratory to clinical application. Industry partners benefit from access to highly skilled researchers and state-of-the-art facilities, while healthcare systems gain evidence that can guide decision-making and improve patient care.
The programme has a significant regional and international dimension. By hosting fellows in Ireland, Iceland, and partner organisations worldwide, INNOVISION contributes to local economic growth and strengthens international research links. Fellows’ engagement with local communities through outreach activities will raise awareness of eye health, encourage participation in clinical research, and inspire the next generation of scientists.
The long-term impact of INNOVISION extends beyond the individual research projects. The knowledge generated by fellows will contribute to improved therapies, earlier diagnosis, and more efficient healthcare delivery. Training researchers to engage with patients and society ensures that future innovations are aligned with public priorities and ethical standards. By the end of the programme, INNOVISION will have created a network of researchers who are prepared to continue driving progress in vision science and public health.
Through this combination of high-quality research, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge transfer, INNOVISION contributes to a future where preventable vision loss is reduced, quality of life for patients is improved, and healthcare systems are better equipped to respond to the growing global challenge of ocular disease.
For science
INNOVISION COFUND fellowship programme was created to advance scientific discovery in vision research and strengthen the capacity of the research ecosystem.
The programme supports a cohort of postdoctoral researchers who will conduct ambitious projects across drug delivery, gene therapy, regenerative medicine, diagnostics, and health systems research. Each project is designed to generate new knowledge and create a foundation for further scientific and technological development in ocular health.
The scientific focus of INNOVISION is aligned with the priorities of the international vision research community. Fellows will work on challenges that include improving drug bioavailability in ocular tissues, designing innovative formulations for hard-to-treat conditions, and developing new diagnostic tools for earlier disease detection. By combining expertise in pharmaceutical technology, molecular biology, clinical science, and computational modelling, the programme fosters research that is interdisciplinary and capable of producing results with broad applicability.
INNOVISION contributes to scientific excellence by ensuring that fellows have access to state-of-the-art infrastructure, specialised training, and a network of experienced supervisors. The programme integrates advanced methodologies such as nanotechnology-based formulation, high-throughput screening, and modelling of ocular pharmacokinetics. This environment supports reproducible, robust science and encourages the open sharing of protocols, data, and outcomes in line with FAIR data principles.
The programme also acts as a catalyst for collaboration across disciplines and institutions. By linking research groups in Ireland, Iceland, and partner organisations around the world, INNOVISION promotes cross-pollination of ideas and fosters international collaborations that extend beyond the duration of the fellowship. Fellows will take part in joint training events, seminars, and conferences, creating a scientific community that is interconnected and able to respond collectively to emerging research challenges.
Knowledge transfer is embedded into the programme structure. Fellows will be trained to communicate their results effectively to both scientific and non-scientific audiences, to publish in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, and to present their work at international meetings. The programme will also encourage open science practices, including pre-registration of studies where relevant and data sharing, to ensure that results contribute to the broader scientific record and can be used to build new hypotheses and follow-on studies.
The outcomes of INNOVISION will advance the scientific understanding of ocular diseases and their treatment, but the impact will extend to the wider biomedical field. Innovations developed through the programme, such as new drug delivery platforms or computational models, may have applications in other therapeutic areas. By training researchers to work across disciplinary boundaries and to engage with industry and clinical partners, INNOVISION helps to create a research culture that is translational and capable of moving discoveries toward clinical implementation.
Through rigorous research, collaboration, and open dissemination of results, INNOVISION strengthens science itself. The programme develops researchers who are well-equipped to contribute to the global research community and to sustain progress in vision science for years to come.
