Prevent Blindness invites nominations for two awards

Prevent Blindness is inviting nominations for two awards, with the deadline for submission 5th, February.

2021 Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health

The Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health is presented annually to an individual, team, or organization that has made significant contributions to the advancement of public health related to vision and eye health at the community, state, national and/or international level. Among the highest honors Prevent Blindness bestows, this prestigious award consists of formal acknowledgement and a commemorative plaque to be presented at the Focus on Eye Health National Summit a virtual event on July 14, 2021.  It further comes with an invitation to present on this work as a speaker of the Summit.  The award serves as a living memorial to Jenny Pomeroy, who served as the CEO of Prevent Blindness Georgia from 1996 until 2013 and brought a passionate understanding of public health to her work and our mission.

Nomination Criteria:

Nominations may be made for an individual, team, or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to the field of public health and vision and eye health at a community, state, national, and/or international level. If awarded, the recipient or representative (if a team or organization) must be available to present at the 2021 Focus on Eye Health National Summit virtually on July 14, 2021 to receive the award. Information on previous recipients of the Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health can be found here.

Submission:

• Nomination form
• A 500-word (or less) description of why the nominee is deserving of this award.  Descriptions should be concise and specific and clearly demonstrate the nominee’s commitment to vision and eye health within the scope of public health, along with the number of years the nominee has been working in the area of vision and public health.
• A one-page biographical sketch (NEI format), one-page Curriculum Vitae of the nominee, or one-page background of the team/organization
• In addition to the above information, you may also provide any additional materials you feel are relevant to the nomination (please limit this to less than 10 pages provided in PDF format).
• Please note: Submissions not adhering to the above submission guidelines (page limits, word count, etc.) will not be reviewed.

 The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 5, 2021 at noon ET. For more information, visit https://preventblindness.org/jenny-pomeroy-award-for-excellence-in-vision-and-public-health/.

2021 Prevent Blindness Rising Visionary Award

The Prevent Blindness Rising Visionary Award is presented annually to an optometry student or resident, ophthalmology resident, primary health care, nursing, or other health professional student or resident in the United States who has the best essay based on the 2021 Focus on Eye Health National Summit theme: Our Changing Vision. This esteemed award consists of formal acknowledgement and a commemorative plaque to be presented at the Focus on Eye Health National Summit virtually on July 14 or 15^th, 2021.  It further comes with an invitation to present this work as a speaker at the Summit. Information on previous recipients of the Prevent Blindness Rising Visionary Award can be found here.

Application Criteria:

An optometry student or resident, ophthalmology resident, primary health care, nursing, or other health professional student or resident in the United States who has the best essay based on a question related to the 2021 Focus on Eye Health National Summit theme: Our Changing Vision. If awarded, the awardee must be available to present virtually at the 2021 Focus on Eye Health National Summit on July 14^th or 15^th, 2021 to receive the award.

Submission:

• Application Cover Sheet
• Essay: 500-word essay answering a question based on the 2021 Focus on Eye Health National Summit theme: Our Changing Vision.

QUESTION: What significant change can be made to improve equity in vision and eye health in the U.S.? Describe your reasoning.

1. What is the significant change? (100 words)
2. How will it improve equity in vision and eye health in the U.S.? (250 words)
3. Describe the systems or processes that will need to change to accomplish it. (150 words)

• Curriculum Vitae and Personal Statement: Submit a Curriculum Vitae no more than 1 page containing baccalaureate and higher educational preparation, positions and employment, other experience and professional memberships, and honors. Please include a 200-word personal statement which describes the relevant academic, experiential and leadership training that prepared you for this essay. Click here for an example.
• Letters of Recommendation: Up to two recent letters of recommendation including how they know the applicant and for how long (two-page maximum for each letter)
• Please note: Submissions not adhering to the above submission guidelines (page limits, word count, etc.) will not be reviewed.

The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 5, 2021 at noon ET. For more information, visit https://preventblindness.org/rising-visionary-award/.