Prevent Blindness invites nominations for two awards in 2022

TWO AWARDS FROM PREVENT BLINDNESS

2022 Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health

Submission Deadline: Friday, February 4, 2022 – noon ET

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, group, 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 13^th or 14^th, 2022.  It further comes with an invitation to present on this work as a speaker at 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, group, or organization that has made a significant contribution to the field of public health and vision and eye health at the community, state, national, and/or international level. If awarded, the recipient or representative (if a group or organization) must be available to present at the 2022 Focus on Eye Health National Summit virtually on July 13^th or 14^th, 2022 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 Requirements:

Please note: Submissions not adhering to the guidelines below (page limits, word count, etc.) will not be reviewed.

• Nomination form
• A 500-word (or less) description of why the nominee is deserving of this award. Descriptions should be concise and specific, clearly demonstrate the nominee’s commitment to vision and eye health within the scope of public health, and indicate the number of years the nominee has been working in this area.
• A one-page biographical sketch (NIH format), one-page curriculum vitae of the nominee, or one-page background of the group/organization
• In addition to the above information, you may also provide any additional material that may be relevant to the nomination (please limit this to less than 10 pages provided in PDF format).

The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 4, 2022 at noon ET. For more information, visit https://preventblindness.org/jenny-pomeroy-award-for-excellence-in-vision-and-public-health/.

2022 Prevent Blindness Rising Visionary Award

Submission Deadline: Friday, February 4, 2022 – noon ET

The Prevent Blindness Rising Visionary Award is presented annually to an optometry, ophthalmology, primary health care, nursing, or other health professional student or resident in the United States who has the best overall application and essay addressing the 2022 Focus on Eye Health National Summit theme: Eye-conic Approaches to Eye Health. 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 13, 2022. The award accompanies an invitation to present on their essay and related work as a speaker of the Summit. Information on previous recipients of the Prevent Blindness Rising Visionary Award can be found here.

Applicant Criteria:

Current student or resident in the United States in one of the following fields of study: optometry, ophthalmology, primary health care, nursing, or another health-related field. The applicant with the best overall application and essay based on a question related to the 2022 Focus on Eye Health National Summit theme: Eye-conic Approaches to Eye Health will receive the award. The awardee must be available to present virtually at the 2022 Focus on Eye Health National Summit on July 13^th, 2022.

Submission Requirements:

Please note: Submissions not adhering to the guidelines below (responding to each of the three individual essay questions, page limits, word count, etc.) will not be considered.

• Application Cover Sheet
• Essay: 500-word essay answering a question based on the 2022 Focus on Eye Health National Summit theme: Eye-conic Approaches to Eye Health.

QUESTION: What “eye-conic” individual, group, programme, or research discovery will have a significant impact on the future of eye health in the U.S? Describe your reasoning. (Note: Respond to each question below separately and clearly separate out sections.)

1. Describe the eye-conic individual, group, program, or research discovery. (100 words)
2. How will it positively impact vision and eye health in the U.S.? (250 words)
3. Explain the systems or processes that will need to change for the impact to be fully realized. (150 words)

• Curriculum Vitae and Personal Statement: Submit a one-page curriculum vitae containing higher educational accomplishments and current status, positions and employment, honors, professional memberships, and other experience. 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 from a professor, employer, mentor or other professional with an advisory or supervisory role during the program of study.  The letter should describe the terms and duration of the relationship with the applicant (two-page maximum for each letter).

The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 4, 2022 at noon ET. For more information, visit https://preventblindness.org/rising-visionary-award/.