John Henahan Writing Prize

Apply for the John Henahan Writing Prize

Young ophthalmologists are invited to compete for the 2025 John Henahan Writing Prize by submitting an essay (800 words maximum). The author of the winning essay will receive a €500 bursary and a specially commissioned trophy, awarded during the 2025 ESCRS Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark. The winning essay will also be published in EuroTimes.

Writing prompt: Essays must answer this prompt:
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes, however well-intentioned, stir a variety of responses in the corporate and political worlds and in the scientific and medical spheres. What DEI and unconscious bias issues are present in the current culture of ophthalmology training, practice, and clinical research? What are the potential benefits of addressing these issues for patients and ophthalmologists? What kind of meaningful changes need to happen to move beyond ‘talking the talk’ to ‘walking the walk’?

Eligibility: The prize competition is open to ESCRS members (including the free membership available to trainees) age 40 or younger on 1 January 2025. Submit your essay no later than 20 June 2025 to seanh@eurotimes.org.

Cover page: All essays must include a cover page with the following information:

• Author’s name
• Contact information (email and phone)
• Institution/affiliation
• Stage of ophthalmology training
• Date of birth
• ESCRS member number

Writing tips: Submit your essay in Microsoft Word or a similar text format (no PDFs, please). The punctuation, syntax, and grammar should reflect the high standard of content published in EuroTimes. Please remember to limit your essay to 800 words. We encourage you to have a colleague read your essay to check for style and grammar mistakes. Please include citations for any studies mentioned and state whether AI tools were used in the production of the essay.

Deadline: The closing date for entries is 20 June 2025. Send your essay with cover page to seanh@eurotimes.org.

Winning essays: Recent winners have shown some original insight and personal style in their essays.