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The EuroVisionNet-Project

The concept of the project ‘Visual Impairment and Degeneration: A Road-map for Vision Research within Europe’ (EuroVisionNet) aims to coordinate and consolidate vision research activities and policies of the European vision research community in order to overcome the national fragmentation and to avoid duplication of work. EuroVisionNet will support and advise European societies and national organizations on both scientific and administrative issues. Offering educational and training workshops that cover both basic and clinical research would be an added benefit. These workshops and seminars will be tailored for the young as well as the highly advanced researcher.

The EuroVisionNet aims to address seven major challenges:

  • Better definition and acceptance of vision research in the scientific community
  • To overcome the still existing fragmentation of European research
  • To reduce duplication of research efforts
  • To increase communication between clinical and basic researchers
  • To foster collaborations between academic research and industry
  • To support clarity regarding national and international policy mandates relating to clinical research activities
  • To develop a better educational concept in the vision research community

To address these issues four major objectives are defined within the European Vision Net project:

  • Scientific integration of European vision research
  • Collaboration with public and private sector
  • Policies and guidelines for European vision research
  • Information and knowledge transfer

For the scientific and medical components, EuroVisionNet will incorporate multiple disciplines relating to vision research such as engineering, neurology, pathology, and specific sections of the eye, to name a few. The incorporation of FP5 and FP6 projects will be fundamental in limiting the gap between basic and clinical researchers. Other workshops that also address these challenges include “The Ageing Eye” and “Rare Diseases.”
EuroVisionNet will serve as a voice for the vision research community with the hope to increase globally the awareness for this field. This coordination approach of seeking private and public partnership is mandatory and has a high potential to increase translational research within Europe.

The patient information dissemination process will be designed through the close partnership of established international patient organizations. Utilizing the leadership of Retina International, patient information will be collected, sorted, translated into national languages and published on a web-based portal.The web-based portal will also be used to support the communication efforts and information exchange between clinicians and researchers involved with EuroVisionNet. This proposed project is designed to function under the umbrella organization, the European Vision Institute (EVI) that services the vision research community including the clinical and scientific settings, patient organization and industry.

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