Vision award

Leonor Beleza with the 2008 winners, Jeremy Nathans and King-Wai Yau

The António Champalimaud Vision Award has the support of Vision 2020 – The Right To Sight, a global initiative for the prevention of blindness launched in association with the World Health Organisation and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. The award is given alternately between contributions to overall vision research and contributions to the alleviation of visual problems, primarily in developing countries. The recipients of the award are productive research groups rather than single individuals. This may involve groups from more than one institution or discipline.

The Award is not only for the largest global organisations but also for organisations of any size that can demonstrate high impact achievements. These could be on a local, national, regional or international level.

The jury of the award consists of a distinguished panel of outstanding scientists involved in vision research, and of exceptional public figures involved in meeting the needs of the developing world. 

The award may be used in any way that furthers the outstanding contribution of the recipients. In 2007, the inaugural year of the Antonio Champalimaud Vision Award, the focus was on contributions, primarily in developing countries, to the alleviation of visual problems. In 2008 the Award recognised ground-breaking discoveries that enhance our knowledge or understanding of vision. For the 2009 edition of the award the focus will return once again to the fight against blindness on the ground.