Scholarships, Grants and Fellowships

Scholarships

Topham Scholarship

This overseas training scholarship is for a Queensland Registrar in their final year of training. Its purpose is to encourage trainees to work overseas. To be eligible, the following applies:

• QLD trainee – QLD trainee refers to either (1) a QLD ophthalmology trainee or (2) an interstate ophthalmology trainee who graduated from a QLD medical school.
• Final year of training overseas – Applications are welcome for a scholarship for a final year registrar who, at the time of selection, is either holding an overseas fellowship or has an acceptance letter to train overseas.
• Your research must not involve any animal experimentation.

Please send your application to ranzco@amaq.com.au. Application is to be one page, typed in font 12, stating your intended field of ophthalmology subspecialty training and to which institution you are applying or have received a job offer. Include a copy of applications and intended job offers. Please also enclose a current copy of your CV.

Heather G Mack Scholarship for Women

Coming in 2021!

Applications for the Heather G Mack Scholarship for Women will be opening in August 2021. The scholarship is worth $4,000 and is open to female final year trainees and Fellows with an interest in governance.

Criteria for Scholarship

• Female gender
• In final year of training or graduate of the RANZCO Vocational Training Program or equivalent
• Demonstrated interest in governance, e.g. membership of a RANZCO committee
• Interested in further developing board governance skills

Prize Conditions

The Scholarship recipient will

• undertake to use the scholarship towards an approved purpose such as undertaking the Australian Institute of Company Directors course, NZ Company Directors course, presentation training, leadership courses or courses on leading meetings;
• be an observer at two RANZCO meetings as nominated by the President;
• join the RANZCO Women in Ophthalmology group; and
• provide a report to RANZCO at the end of their scholarship.

Prize Timeline

Opens in August 2021 and will be awarded at the Women in Ophthalmology Lunch at Congress (19-23 November 2021). An application form will be available online and applications are judged by the Chair and Deputy Chair of Women in Ophthalmology.

Clinical Paediatric Ophthalmology Fellowship at the Queensland Children’s Hospital

The Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service (CHQ HHS) have opened an opportunity to fill the position of Paediatric Ophthalmology Fellow. There are two roles available for this Fellowship commencing on the following dates: February 2022-January 2021 and August 2022-July 2023.

For further information, please refer to this page.

2 PhD Scholarships at The University of Melbourne in collaboration with KU Leuven in Belgium

The Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA and University of Melbourne have been granted two funded Phd positions in collaboration with a research team at KU Leuven in Belgium. They are seeking candidates interested in exploring hyperspectral retinal imaging for neurodegenerative diseases. Each candidate will spend two years in their host institution (Melbourne and Leuven) before going to the overseas partner organisation for 12-18 months.

Successful candidates will have degrees awarded at both universities and cost of travel will be covered. The PhDs will include exposure to clinical, data science and laboratory research.

Here are the postings for the two PhD positions:

• The eye as a window to the brain: tackling neurodegenerative disorders
• The eye as a window to the brain: tackling neurodegenerative disorders 2

Details of the overarching KU Leuven UoM PhD program can be found here.

Marsden Funded PhD Available

Better than a hole in the head? Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MIR) of brain motion as an indicator of raised intracranial pressure.

Management of several conditions, characterised by high intracranial pressure (ICP), is hampered by the lack of a reliable, non-invasive technique to confidently determine if ICP is elevated. Raised ICP can severely compromise brain perfusion. Currently, the only way to definitely determine ICP is to measure it directly, requiring a highly invasive skull burr hole. What is there was a way to determine the ICP with a non-invasive Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan? We have developed a method called amplified MRI (aMRI), which can detect changes in brain motion with changes in ICP. Together with our capability to directly measure and modulate ICP in a clinically-relevant large animal (sheep) model, we now have the means to model the brain physiology across a range of ICPs.

This is a funded PhD position to start in March 2021. The goal of this PhD is to determine if aMRI can provide a diagnostic index of ICP. We are looking for a student with interest in correlating abnormal brain motion based on MRI to clinical measures in idiopathic hypertension (IIH) patients. The PhD would involve performing specialised testing (e.g. OCT and visual field testing). The student will have the opportunity to be involved in the collection of advanced imaging and physiological data in pre-clinical and clinical experiments. This project is exciting and unique in its methods and application of novel clinical, scientific, computational modelling and bioengineering tools, with the potential to revolutionise management of patients with high ICP.

Please contact Prof Helen Danesh-Meyer for more information at helendm@gmail.com or 0212291840.

5th Year Position at John Hunter Hospital in 2021

John Hunter Hospital is looking for a 5th year position who is available at the hospital in 2021. This position will be ideal for those who wish to broaden the depth and scope of ophthalmology surgery and medicine for further preparation for career in comprehensive ophthalmology.

• Participation in clinical duties and non-clinical duties as arranged by the Department of Ophthalmology.
• Compliance with roster for out-of-hours and weekend duties as arranged by the Department of Ophthalmology.
• Perform clinical duties under the supervision of specialist staff
• Possess a responsible attitude and commitment to the teaching and supervision of junior medical staff in the Unit.

The position description is available here.

Position Number: 23912
Specialty: Ophthalmology
Sub-Specialty: None
Facility: John Hunter Hospital

Ophthalmology Fellow position at Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne

The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) provides secondary and tertiary care to children and young people across the northern and western suburbs; specialist paediatric healthcare to the children of Victoria, Tasmania, southern NSW and parts of South Australia; and is the designated state-wide provider of services including paediatric trauma, rehabilitation and forensic medicine. As a quaternary centre for complex cardiac surgery and organ transplantation, the RCH cares for the sickest children from around Australia.

With a passionate, highly skilled and committed staff campus wide of over 6000, we provide a full range of clinical services, tertiary care and health promotion and prevention programs for children and young people.

The ophthalmologists and orthoptists working in the Ophthalmology Department provide a comprehensive service including assessment, investigation and management of a wide range of eye and vision problems. The ophthalmology team work with many specialties in the hospital to provide coordinated care for patients. Conditions treated include eye misalignment, lazy eye, abnormal eye movements, droopy eyelids, glaucoma, cataracts, retinoblastoma and retinopathy of prematurity.

Applications are now open for a full time Ophthalmology Fellow to join the team. Position will commence on 7/02/2022 for 12 months.

For a detailed copy of the Position Description please click here

Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Māori and Pasifika Scholarships

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO), in conjunction with the Trevelyan-Smith Scholarship Fund, is offering up to four scholarships of AUD $2,000 each for medical students (graduate/undergraduate) or junior doctors (PGY 1,2,3) who identify as Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Māori or Pasifika and are interested in pursuing a career in ophthalmology. The Scholarships are intended to cover the costs of undertaking ophthalmology surgical or clinical related education, professional development, training and/or research in Australia or New Zealand that will result in the acquisition of new knowledge or skills which will strengthen or enrich their career portfolios.

2021 scholarship applications will open in late May 2021 and close on 1 September 2021

Travelling Scholarships

RANZCO is pleased to announce the Alan James bequest and the Trevelyan-Smith bequest have provided funds for 2020 Travelling Scholarships. Open to fifth year trainees or young ophthalmologists undertaking a fellowship, each of the seven available scholarships is worth $10,000.

2021 scholarship applications will open in early May 2021 and close on 1 September 2021

International Scholarship Program 2020

Due to the impacts of COVID-19 and the postponement of RANZCO’s Annual Scientific Congress to November 2021, RANZCO will extend an invitation in mid-April 2021 for graduates of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Leadership Development Program (APAO LDP) to apply for the opportunity to participate in the RANZCO International Development Workshops and attend the RANZCO Congress and related events scheduled for November 2021 in Brisbane.

2021 scholarship applications will open in mid-April 2021 and close on 1 June 2021.

Papua New Guinea Scholarship Program 2020

Due to the impacts of COVID-19 and the postponement of RANZCO’s Annual Scientific Congress to November 2021, RANZCO will extend an invitation to eye doctors and ophthalmology trainees from Papua New Guinea to apply for the opportunity to participate in the RANZCO International Development Workshops and attend the RANZCO Congress and related events scheduled for November 2021 in Brisbane.

2021 scholarship applications will open in mid-April 2021 and close on 1 June 2021.

Grants

ORIA Research Grants

The Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia (ORIA) one-year research grants in ophthalmology and related fields are available through the Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia (ORIA).

Applications for the 2021 ORIA Research Grants opened in late January and are now closed.

Macular Disease Foundation Australia’s Research Grant

Applications are now closed for the third round of Macular Disease Foundation Australia’s Research Grants Program.

Fellowships

More information on available Fellowships can be found on the Classifieds section of the website