Southampton, United Kingdom, 15th April 2013 — Global contact lens manufacturer, CooperVision, is now seeking applications for its annual Summer Research Scholarship from all second year students across the UK’s top optometric universities. Providing a unique insight into contact lens research, successful applicants will receive a £2,000 cash award to conduct their own project and the chance to attend the prestigious National Student Summit at CooperVision’s headquarters in September.
The six to eight week research project, based on a contact lens topic of the applicant’s choice, will need to be undertaken over the summer of 2013. The nine selected finalists will then be given the opportunity to present their findings to a panel of judges at CooperVision’s Hampshire Headquarters on 16th and 17th September, where they will compete for the coveted title of ‘Student of the Year’.
The overall winner will receive a full BCLA 2014 delegate package with accommodation. They will also go on to compete in CooperVision’s European FORCE in spring 2014, for the chance to win a full delegate package to attend the American Academy of Optometry Clinical Conference in Denver, Colorado.
Winner of last year’s scholarship, Caledonian University’s Michelle Snowball, who went on to win the European competition, said:
“The summer scholarship was great fun and provided a chance for me to not only expand my own anterior eye knowledge, but also make a contribution to this field. I was very fortunate to have a good supervisor who was always on hand with ideas, support and a sense of humour when things went wrong. Undertaking my research project, 'Devices to investigate the anterior eye’, offered me a unique insight into the world of clinical research and I am grateful to CooperVision for all their encouragement and support throughout the scholarship. Winning the scholarship has meant that I can start my pre-registration year with a good grounding in cutting edge research. I would thoroughly recommend the scholarship to optometry students with an interest in research, it's an eye opening opportunity and provides invaluable career experience.”
For more information on the scheme and how to apply students should contact their head of department.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Fiona Healey or Jessica Walker, Five by Five UK
CONTACT DETAILS: fiona.healey@fivebyfiveuk.com / jessica.walker@fivebyfiveuk.com
+44 (0) 2380 828500
About CooperVision
CooperVision, a unit of The Cooper Companies, Inc. [NYSE: COO], is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses. Dedicated to continually bringing a fresh perspective to the contact lens experience for practitioners and patients, CooperVision specialises in lenses for astigmatism, presbyopia, and ocular dryness. The company routinely collaborates with eye-care professionals in the research and development of relevant products. CooperVision manufactures a full array of monthly and daily disposable contact lenses featuring advanced materials and optics.
For more information, visit www.coopervision.co.uk.
Contact lenses are medical devices and can only be prescribed and dispensed by a licensed eye care professional.