BCLA Da Vinci Award
The BCLA Da Vinci Award recognises work or an idea from any member of the contact lens industry in its widest sense. It is given biennially to the author of a completed project or practical contribution to the field of contact lenses and/or anterior eye.
It is intended that this Award should recognise work by those who are not established contact lens researchers; specifically, applicants should NOT have published more than five papers related to the field of contact lenses and/or anterior eye. Equally, the award may be given in recognition of a useful contribution by a member of staff within the contact lens-related manufacture and supply industry.
This Award will be given to the candidate whose completed project (or summary of practical contribution), relating to design, manufacture, clinical research or instrumentation in the field of contact lens practice and/or anterior eye. This will be judged by the BCLA Academic Committee from those abstracts submitted to the biennial Clinical Conference in the UK and whose first author identifies themselves as having published less than 5 paper in the field of contact lenses and/or anterior eye.
Applications will be assessed on originality, presentation and overall methodology. Once ratified by the BCLA Council, the decision of the BCLA Academic Committee is final and binding. Under no circumstance will correspondence be entered into. Note: Council members of the BCLA may not submit an application for the award during their period of office.
The winning applicant will receive:
- One conference package comprising delegate fee and accommodation to the BCLA Clinical Conference
- Award plaque
How to apply
Authors who are submitting an abstract for the 2025 BCLA call for papers/posters will have the opportunity to apply.
If you are submitting an abstract for inclusion in the 2025 Clinical Conference & Exhibition and would like to be considered for the BCLA Da Vinci Award, please apply on the BCLA call for papers/posters submission form.
We invite applications from 9am (BST) on 9 September 2024.
The application deadline is 9am (GMT) Monday 3 February 2025.
BCLA Da Vinci Award Recipients
2023 Rabia Mobeen (Australia)
2021 Marta Blanco-Vazquez (Spain)
2019 Parthasarathi Kalaiselvan (Australia)
2015 Benjamin Coldrick (United Kingdom)
2014 Dr Alex Hui (Canada)
2013 Ka Yin Chan (China)
2012 Charles White (USA)
2011 Rachel Ashdown (Sheffield Hallam University)
2010 Fabian Conrad (Australia)
2009 Paul Gifford (UNSW Sydney, Australia)
2007 Dr B A Golebiowski (UNSW Sydney, Australia)
2006 Ms Racheal Peterson (Aston University)
2004 Mrs Christine Purslow (Aston University)
2003 Ms Maria Luisa Simo Mannion (UMIST)
2002 Ms Caroline Karlgard (Waterloo, Canada)
2001 Mr Marc Schulze (Germany, Canada)
2000 Mr Klaus Ehrman (Germany, Australia)
1998 Miss Becky Drinkwater (Aston Univeristy)
1992 Mr David McGowan (City University)