Individual Research Projects in Ophthalmology: IRPO
The IRPO aims to stimulate basic, translational or clinical research in ophthalmology at Belgian institutes.
The grant focuses on basic research related to ophthalmology, description of disease phenotypes, translational research, therapeutic outcomes, development of diagnostic methods or searching for genotype-phenotype correlations.
Research results should enhance and benefit the national and international reputation of Belgian ophthalmology. If the research project involves clinical work, the team must comply with the requirements of ICH-GCP regulations, Informed Consent, and Ethics Committee approval.Follow the guidelines applicable at the time of submission. IRPO is a one-year contract program with an option to apply for a second round of funding.
Please note, while IRPO projects should lead to publication of research outcomes, FRO funding of IRPO projects is not intended to cover publication. Undertaking research, writing, and publishing a paper in one year is unrealistic. However, FRO will seek a progress report from funded IRPO projects after one year.
Financial support for retinal disease research is provided by the John W. Mouton Pro Retina Fund and the Marie-Claire Liénaert Fund, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation.
Several Belgian ophthalmological societies can also contribute to funding for research in specific subspecialties. If your research meets the criteria and is funded by a donation from the affiliated society, the grant will be named after that society.
Timeline & deadlines:
| • Submission of preliminary application (Part I) | May 31, 2026, before midnight |
| • Invite applicants to prepare the final application | Tuesday, June 16, 2026 |
| • Submission of final application (Part II) | August 17, 2026, before midnight |
| • Ranking of the successful projects | Monday, October 26, 2026 |
| • Announcement of the successful projects | November 2026, during OB2026 |
| • Start of financing | Tuesday, December 1, 2026 |
| • End of financing | Tuesday, November 30, 2027 |
The application for the IRPO (Individual Research Projects in Ophthalmology) is in two phases :
- A Pre-Proposal (PART I) must be submitted via the website before midnight on May 31, 2026
- Selected projects will be invited to submit their final application by June 16, 2026.
- After this, the pre-selected applicants can update and finalize their project by completing and submitting PART II before midnight on August 17, 2026.
Please bear in mind when completing your form that publication costs cannot be covered by FRO IRPO funding. This is because the funding is provided for one year, which is an unrealistic timeframe to undertake research, write and publish a paper.
Download the official application form here.
Please note that this is a locked Word document – you can only enter text or make selections as restricted by the document. Please ensure you answer the questions as completely as possible, paying attention to the process described above. If you experience any problems with the form, please report them to: fro@fro-online.org
Eligibility candidates for IRPO
Upload your Application Form here:
