| EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS |
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(1) Retinal Diseases: Projects include studies of the development, molecular and cell biology, molecular genetics, and metabolism of the photoreceptor cells and their dependence on the underlying retinal pigment epithelium; the mechanism of the retina's response to light and the initial processing of information that is transmitted to the visual centers of the brain; the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy; the fundamental causes of and etiologic factors responsible for uveitis; the molecular genetic mechanisms underlying retinoblastoma and ocular melanoma; the characterization at the molecular level of the genes responsible for retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration, and related disorders; and the cellular and molecular events that accompany retinal detachment. (2) Corneal Diseases: Projects include studies of the regulation of genes that express proteins unique to corneal tissue; the details of the macromolecular and supramolecular assembly of extracellular corneal matrices; the characterization of cytokines and cell surface receptors which interact with corneal cells, pathogens, and blood borne cells; the pathogenesis of corneal infections; the mechanisms that maintain corneal hydration and transparency; the physiologic basis for immune privilege in the cornea; corneal development, growth, and wound healing; the biomechanics of the cornea; the characterization of genes responsible for corneal dystrophy; and, the correction of refractive errors. (3) Lens and Cataract: Projects include studies of lens development, characterization of changes in lens physiology and biochemistry related to aging and cataract formation, the identification, at the cellular and molecular level, of those components and physiological processes required to maintain transparency, studies to identify what controls lens shape and its accommodating dynamics, the molecular and cellular characterization of the control of lens cell division and differentiation; genetic studies to map and identify cataract genes; studies to describe the structure and function of lens crystallins; studies to identify those insults that lead to cataract formation such as oxidative stress, and, the role of aldose reductase in human cataractogenesis. (4) Glaucoma: Projects include studies of the genetics of glaucoma, characterizing at the cellular and molecular level the extracellular matrix proteins of the trabecular meshwork; elucidating the basic mechanisms that control aqueous humor dynamics; designing better pharmacologic agents to modulate aqueous humor secretion and outflow; and characterization of mechanisms of optic nerve damage and the cell biology of retinal ganglion cell death. (5) Strabismus, Amblyopia, and Visual Processing: Projects include studies of the function of the neural pathways from the eye to the brain, the central processing of visual information, visual perception, optical properties of the eye, functioning of the pupil, and control of the ocular muscles; congenital, developmental, and degenerative abnormalities of the visual sensorimotor system, particularly strabismus and amblyopia. Additional emphasis is placed on and support provided for research on optic neuropathies, eye movement disorders, and the development of myopia. (6) Low Vision and Its Rehabilitation: Projects include studies aimed at improving the methods of specifying, measuring and categorizing loss of visual function; devising strategies to help visually impaired people maximize the use of their residual vision; systematically evaluating new and existing visual aids; developing an adequate epidemiological base for blindness, partial loss of sight and visual anomalies; and studying the optical, electronic, and other rehabilitative needs of people with visual impairments. (7) Collaborative Clinical Research: Projects include a number of clinical trials and other epidemiologic research projects includingsingle- |
| PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
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In FY 02, this program supported approximately 1,460 research grants, including 54 SBIR and STTR awards, and 267 NRSA awards. This program received approximately 782 competing research grant applications in FY 02, of which approximately 322 competing applications were funded, with an estimated success rate of 41.2 percent. In FY 03, the program anticipates supporting 1,460 research grants, including 54 SBIR and STTR awards, and 267 NRSA awards. A report by the National Advisory Eye Council, "Vision Research - A National Plan: 1999-2003," provides a comprehensive summary of the program's goals, objectives, accomplishments, research budget, and program and management policies, as well as statistical information on the incidence, prevalence, and cost of visual disorders. Copies of this document are available on the internet at http://www.nei.nih.gov. |
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