Moorfields Eye Charity expands support for PhDs

Moorfields Eye Charity will expand the support it offers to PhD students, including increasing studentships from three to four years.

The yearly stipend paid to PhD students will increase from £22,000 to £28,860, to align with the London Living Wage.

The charity has confirmed that it is not changing the scope of the PhD or increasing how much work needs to be done in line with the increase in funding.

Moorfields Eye Charity drives innovation and research in eye health through the partnership between Moorfields Eye Hospital and University College London, bringing new treatments to the fore.

The expansion in funding has been announced in order to boost support for early-career researchers and accelerate the development of innovative treatments.

Moorfields Eye Charity has also supplemented its current PhDs, to ensure equity for students who were on the previous stipend.

Dr Peter Bloomfield, director of grants and research at Moorfields Eye Charity, said: “Improving eye health has never been more important. Right now, more than two million people across the UK are living with sight loss – a number set to double over the next 30 years as the population ages.

“It’s vital we encourage a diverse pipeline of early-stage researchers to make the breakthroughs in eye health that will help us to live well as we live older. Setting people up for success at the earliest stage is crucial. That’s why we’re incredibly proud to announce these changes to our studentships.”

The expansion in support is part of the charity’s new grants strategy, which has been designed to accelerate and grow impact in eye-health research. The new grants will be launched in the summer.

Robert Dufton, Moorfields Eye Charity chief executive, noted that it is an exciting time to be involved in vision and eye health research.

“This is a golden age of eye research. Breakthroughs in artificial intelligence-driven diagnostics, gene and stem cell therapies, and advanced imaging, are fundamentally transforming how we detect, treat, and prevent vision loss, and Moorfields Eye Charity is playing a vital role at a pivotal time,” Dufton said.

He added: “Through targeted funding and strategic partnerships – anchored by the world-leading collaboration between Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology – we continue to empower world-class eye health research.”

The aim of the new strategy is to transform “the outlook for every individual living with or at risk of eye disease,” Dufton said.

Dr Tom Burgoyne, Medical Research Council career development fellow at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, said: “This is exciting news and reflects a strong commitment to supporting researchers. It recognises both the time required to fully explore research ideas and the financial pressures faced by PhD students due to rising living costs in London.

“Importantly, it shows sustained investment in the future of eye research while fostering a supportive and sustainable environment for the next generation.”