News
College welcomes over 450 new optometrists to the profession at the 2025 Diploma Ceremony
On Tuesday 18 November, the College welcomed over 450 new optometrists to the profession in two College Diploma Ceremonies held in Westminster, London. Over 70 members awarded higher qualifications at Professional Higher Certificate or Professional Diploma level. The ceremonies brought...
The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers awards two Master’s Medals for early career research
The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers (WCSM) this week announced the winners of two Master’s Medals for 2025. Fabian Yii from Edinburgh was awarded the Master’s Medal for his paper, 'Fundus Refraction Offset as a Personalized Biomarker for 12-Year Risk...
Wiseman Fund recipient expands low vision knowledge
Gemma Gould, a lecturer in optometry at the University of Manchester, has recently attended the International Society for Low Vision Research and Rehabilitation conference 2025 in Florence, thanks to support from the Wiseman Fund. “I presented a poster of my...
The College of Optometrists announces new research scholarships, grants and bursaries are open for applications
The College of Optometrists has announced its programme of financial support for undergraduate students, postgraduate students and members engaging in research projects in the 2025-2026 academic year is open for applications. The College has a long history of providing financial...
Nominations now open for the College’s President’s Research Medal
The President’s Research Medal recognises and celebrates outstanding contributions to research and recognises a lifetime's career in optometric, eye health or vision science research. The President’s Research Medal is the College’s most prestigious research award. The winners of this award...
The Scottish Optometry Awards
Join us at the inaugural Scottish Optometry Awards dinner dance at the Glasgow Radisson Blu Hotel on Saturday 15th November. Drinks 7.00 for 7.30pm. Dinner 7.30–9.00pm. Awards 9.00–9.30pm. Dancing with DJ 9.30–11.30. On the Saturday evening at the Scottish Optical...
Small grant award
Fight For Sight/Stargardt's Connected: Short Grant Award Fight for Sight and Stargardt's Connected are pleased to invite calls for early career clinical or research scientists proposing Stargardt’s research projects to collect preliminary or pilot data for developing competitive follow-on funding...
ABDO awards presented at graduation and prize giving ceremony
The president of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO), Kevin Gutsell, presented six special awards at the Association's recent graduation and prize giving ceremony held at Canterbury Cathedral. ABDO Life Membership was awarded to Fiona Anderson, SMC (Tech), BSc...
Blind Edinburgh man named Young Volunteer of the Year
Daryl Stewart (23), a long-standing volunteer with sight loss charity RNIB Scotland, has been awarded the Special Recognition Award for Young Volunteer of the Year at the 2025 Inspiring Volunteer Awards, run by Volunteer Edinburgh. The award ceremony, which took...
Friends of Moorfields shortlisted for the Charity Awards 2025
We are delighted to announce that we have made the shortlist for this year’s Charity Awards, the longest-running awards scheme in the charity sector. Friends of Moorfields has been shortlisted in the Healthcare and Medical Research category for our handholding...
Eyecare entrepreneur is presented with an MBE
The Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Body Doctor Ltd, Sue Grant, has been presented with an MBE at Windsor Castle for Services to Entrepreneurship. The prestigious award was announced in the King’s Birthday Honours and was presented by Princess...
UK-EGG Seedcorn award call now open
The UK Eye Genetics Group is now accepting applications for a new Seedcorn Award, offering up to £5,000, to support early career researchers in conducting innovative projects focused on the diagnosis, understanding, prevention, management and treatment of genetic eye diseases....
