Systematic Review Awards

Evidence-based medicine supports quality science

APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

See below for details on how to apply

The ESCRS Systematic Review Award (“SRA”) is an initiative sponsored by the ESCRS to produce a high quality body of research aimed to prepare, collate, analyse, synthesise and report medical research.

The initiative will provide a new scholarly output in the field of cataract & refractive surgery or medicine focused on the methodology created by the Cochrane Library (https://www.cochrane.org/about-us, https://eyes.cochrane.org/ and / or https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/).

As defined by the Cochrane Library*: “A systematic review attempts to identify, appraise and synthesize all the empirical evidence that meets pre-specified eligibility criteria to answer a specific research question. Researchers conducting systematic reviews use explicit, systematic methods that are selected with a view aimed at minimizing bias, to produce more reliable findings to inform decision making.”

*https://www.cochranelibrary.com/about/about-cochrane-reviews

Applicants are encouraged to refer online resources here, including a brief introduction on “Why systematic reviews matter”, https://www.elsevier.com/connect/authors-update/whysystematic-reviews-matter

The competition is open to all ophthalmologists (MD, and/or Ph.D., or experienced ophthalmic nurse) holding a full time clinical/research post at an EU-based clinical or academic centre.

ESCRS will offer up to six (6) SRAs in 2023-24.

Each applicant needs to provide an original Proposal relevant to a focused research question in cataract or refractive medicine or surgery and the applicant may wish to register their proposal with PROSPERO (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/) and adherence with PRISMA (http://www.prisma-statement.org/).

Funding may be offered for a maximum of €10,000 for each SRA applicant

At the completion of the research, the systematic review manuscript must be submitted to an accredited journal, acceptable to the ESCRS.

Finally, given that systematic reviews require specific expertise, it will be a condition for the applicant to either (a) submit a previous published systematic review in a professional medical journal or, (b) the applicant will request a Supervisor or Medical Librarian available in the applicant’s institute / hospital / university.

If an applicant is not member of ESCRS, the SRA application shall require written support from an ESCRS Member with at least 3 years of membership of the Society. The support of the ESCRS Member is mandatory.

The amount for funding that may be awarded to a successful applicant, for up to €10,000 (maximum), and for a project with a duration no longer than 1 year.

The 2023 SRA applications will be accepted until 5 March 2023, with the shortlisted submissions notified in late March and final submissions due by the end of May. Award recipients will be notified in July, with winners announced at the annual meeting in Vienna.

Review Process

As part of the opening of the research award calls for 2023, the ESCRS is also unveiling its new process for reviewing applications submitted for its research awards: The society has adopted a masked review process for submissions with specialist reviewers.

Under this new process, all applications will be masked before they are sent to the reviewers for judging and scoring. The applications will then be ranked by ESCRS staff, with the top masked submissions sent to the Clinical Research Committee for a final decision.

In addition, all research award calls will now be open calls.

How to apply

Please submit your application by filling in the below form

The 2023 SRA applications will be accepted until 15 April 2023, with the shortlisted submissions notified in late April and final submissions due by the end of May. Award recipients will be notified in July, with winners announced at the annual meeting in Vienna.

Once applications are received, they will be sent directly to the Clinical Trials Research team.

ESCRS RESEARCH AWARDS APPLICATION FORM

ESCRS AWARDS APPLICATION FORM

Project Title *

Abbreviated Title *

Project Duration * (please indicate duration in months)

Projected Start Date *

Support Requested * (please detail in €)

Chief Investigator

Full Name *

Institution *

Country *

E-mail *

Telephone * (please include your country area code)

Project Partner 1

Full Name (if applicable)

Institution (if applicable)

Country (if applicable)

E-mail (if applicable)

Telephone (please include your country area code, if applicable)

Project Partner 2

Full Name (if applicable)

Institution (if applicable)

Country (if applicable)

E-mail (if applicable)

Telephone (please include your country area code, if applicable)

Project Partner 3

Full Name (if applicable)

Institution (if applicable)

Country (if applicable)

E-mail (if applicable)

Telephone (please include your country area code, if applicable)

Public summary

Please present your project here, using accessible language and without including any confidential information * (This summary may be used by ESCRS for its communication activities, including publication on ESCRS website. Maximum 300 characters)

Background/Context

Please describe what problem your project will be addressing, what is already known and what will your project add *

Objectives

Please list, in order of importance, the main aims of your project *

Project Plan

Please describe the projected work packages, methodology, meaningful deliverables as well as the timeline for their execution, including a Gantt chart and risk identification and management *

Please upload any supporting project plan documents or Gantt charts (if applicable)

Existing infrastructure

Explain why you and your project partners are well placed to deliver the work packages described, both regarding expertise in the field of the proposal as well as to any resources already available within applying parties * (a list of relevant literature can be added as an annex to the application)

Resources required

Tabulate staff, consumables, equipment, programming and IT subcontracting, data storage, data analysis and additional costs in relation to work packages, including travel and legal/patenting costs. Against this, tabulate and subtract any existing support from project partners to derive a figure for the total ESCRS support requested *

Impact

How will your project add to existing open access data either in your field of interest or as a platform development? * Describe at least one important clinical research question that appropriate analysis of the data collected will ultimately help to address. (or for CRA awards - what is already known? what will your project add?)

Additional Supporting Documentation

Please upload any additional information to support your application (if applicable)

Consent

Please give consent for storing submitted data *

Yes, I give permission to store and process my data

Declaration

You agree that by submitting this application to ESCRS, you declare and acknowledge the following:

I am authorised to submit the application on behalf of the applicant
The applicant is a legal entity capable of entering into a contract with ESCRS
The information in the application is true and correct
I hold a full-time or affiliated post with an established clinical or research institute named above, who have agreed to act as Sponsors for the research proposed and have the expertise required to support the administrative, insurance and regulatory requirements necessary for the conduct of this study
I can confirm that the work packages in this project are not already supported by existing funding
I understand that any ownership of any intellectual property arising from the project will be subject to agreement between the sponsoring institution and ESCRS prior to the commencement of funding, in accordance with the ESCRS Intellectual Property policy