Diana Davis Spencer Clinical Research Fellowship Award
Supports physicians entering inherited retinal degeneration subspecialty training to build clinician-scientists for vision-preserving therapies.
The Diana Davis Spencer Clinical Research Fellowship Award (CRFA), administered by the Foundation Fighting Blindness, supports medical doctors pursuing clinical fellowships specifically in orphan inherited retinal degenerations (IRD). The Foundation Fighting Blindness is a US 501(c)(3) organization established in 1971, funding more than 113 research grants annually across 90 US institutions and international laboratories in 16 countries. The CRFA program aims to develop the next generation of clinician-scientists — physicians who will advance both clinical care and research toward preventions, treatments, and cures for IRD patients.
The award provides $65,000 per year for a one-year funding cycle, with up to three post-residency clinicians supported per cycle. Applicants must hold an M.D., D.O., O.D., or recognized foreign equivalent by the fellowship start date, and must be eligible for subspecialty board certification upon completion of their training. No Letter of Intent is required; applicants submit directly through the Foundation's online application portal at onlineapplicationportal.com/blindness, providing a budget template, application face page, and program description. During the active funding period, recipients must submit both scientific progress reports and financial reports.
The FY26 cycle closed on 16 October 2025. The FY27 cycle is expected to open in autumn 2026, following the program's annual cadence. Clinician-scientists at the post-residency stage who wish to subspecialize in inherited retinal disease — and whose training institution can provide the required organizational support — should monitor the Foundation's program page from mid-2026 onward for the new cycle announcement. The program does not accept for-profit or individual applicants; the host institution must be a non-profit, university, or recognized research organization.
Supports one-year clinical fellowship training for medical doctors specializing in orphan inherited retinal degenerations, developing clinician-scientists who advance both patient care and research toward treatments and cures.
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