In 2013, Beta Sigma Kappa (BSK) entered into partnership with OVDRA by providing an initial donation of $50,000 to endow research in vision development.
The Beta Sigma Kappa (BSK) – OVDRA Research Grant program administered by Optometric Vision Development & Rehabilitation Association (OVDRA) supports optometric and vision science faculty research and optometric resident research. The fund will provide support for optometric faculty research and/or optometric resident research in binocular vision and/or visual performance issues.
Application Instructions
Award and Eligibility
All optometric related faculty and optometry residents at an accredited school or college of optometry, irrespective of membership in BSK or OVDRA, are eligible to apply for a BSK-OVDRA Research Grant.
Both BSK and OVDRA are 501(c) (3) non-profit organizations; our policy is not to cover any indirect costs associated with research grants for any other of our programs. This policy applies uniformly to all award recipients.
Recipients must submit a final report of their research findings no later than one year post award or the applicant and/or institution become ineligible for funding the subsequent year. The preferred submission is an article in a form suitable for publication.
Recipients are encouraged to present at the annual meeting of OVDRA and to submit a manuscript to Vision Development and Rehabilitation (VDR) for publication. Any manuscript or publication material produced must acknowledge Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honor Society and Optometric Vision Development & Rehabilitation Association.
Submission and Review Procedures
Submissions should consist of 6 pages or less, preferably in PDF format and contain the following:
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A. Cover page
- Project title
- Institution and address,
- Name, degree(s), title, and contact information for faculty member
B. Research plan
- Statement of problem
- Experimental design
- Institution and other resources available
- Relevance of problem to clinical optometry, vision science, or eye-related public health
- Plans for publication
- Time table
C. Budget explanation
- State amount of grant request
- Describe/Itemize costs
- Justification for equipment, supplies, and other expenses
- Nominal research subject payments are allowable.
D. Helsinki declaration
- Required only if human subjects involved
E. Letter of endorsement
- by faculty adviser, Dean or President/Director of the school/college that also indicates the proposal was reviewed and meets with the standards of the institution.
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Submissions and supporting materials should be emailed to info@covd.org with "BSK [your last name]" in the subject.
Submissions will receive a confirmation receipt by e-mail from OVDRA within 3 business days of receipt. If you do not receive a confirmation, email or call the International Office at (330) 995-0718 to ensure the application is on file.
Submissions will be reviewed by the BSK Board of Regents and the BSK Central World Council, both in collaboration with OVDRA.
Recognition of Awardees
The award recipient(s) and an institution representative will be invited to attend the OVDRA Annual Meeting where, at the OVDRA Awards Luncheon, the recipient(s) will be recognized.
All award recipients by application and acceptance of an award agree to allow the OVDRA and the program sponsor, Beta Sigma Kappa International Honor Society, to publish their name, image, institution information, and any statement or quote provided by the recipient. These may appear in a variety of media formats that will announce and promote the program including, but not limited to, OVDRA and/or sponsor annual report, website, social media, newsletters, and annual meeting promotional materials.
Previous Recipients
2023 Grant Recipients
Dr. Marjean Kulp, OD
The Ohio State University
Distinguished Professor of Optometry
2021 Grant Recipients
Dr. Patricia Cisarik, OD, PhD
Southern College of Optometry
Inter-Examiner Repeatability of Eyelid Laxity Measurements in Adults
Dr. Mitchell Scheiman, OD, PhD
PCO at Salus University
Development of Patient- Reported Outcome Measures for Children with Concussion-Related and Non-Concussion-Related Non-Strabismic Binocular Vision, Accommodative and Visual Tracking Problems: Phase1
2020 Grant Recipient
Mr. Wei Hau Lew
Student at University of Houston, College of Optometry
Disparity- defined Letter Test for Evaluating Stereo Deficits as a Function of Spatial Frequency
2019 Grant Recipient
Maureen D. Plaumann, OD, FAAO
Clinical Instructor and Ph.D. Student
The Ohio State University
Quantifying Suppression in Adults with Strabismus and Amblyopia
2018 - No Grant Awarded
2017 Grant Recipient
Catherine L. Heyman, OD, FCOVD, FAAO
Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Student Affairs,
Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University
Accommodative Response in Children with Visual Impairment as Compared to Age Matched Children with Normal Vision
2016
James Kundart, OD, MEd, FAAO, FCOVD-A
Associate Professor of Optometry, Pacific University College of Optometry
Nawaf Almutairi, OD
Faculty, Optometry Department, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia
Comparison of EnChroma and ChromaPop Filters for the Correction of Color Vision Deficiency
2015
Jameel Kanji, OD, MSc
Assessment of Concussion-Related Visual Dysfunction in Pediatric and Adolescent Patients
2014
Tamara Oechslin, OD, MS
Imaging of Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Effects (I-CITE)
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