The David R. Hinton, MD Scholarship Program

The Hinton Scholarship provides funding for early-career vision researchers to attend a RIMR Conference.

Introduction
The Executive Committee of the Ryan Initiative for Macular Research (“RIMR”) created the David R. Hinton MD Scholarship Program to honor the memory of David R. Hinton, MD, FARVO and acknowledge his many contributions to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) research, his commitment to the RIMR Program, and his passion for mentoring the next generation of researchers.

RIMR Conferences bring physicians and scientists together to identify important unanswered questions surrounding atrophic AMD and to spark new, interdisciplinary research.

RIMR Conferences normally have eight breakout groups, each focused on a different topic. Typically, invitations to attend RIMR are extended to approximately 100 well-established researchers in fields relevant to the challenges of atrophic AMD. Attending a RIMR Conference will afford an early-career researcher the opportunity to learn from and exchange ideas with the invited participants during breakout group meetings, meals, and networking time.

Hinton Scholarships may be awarded for each Conference on a competitive basis; eight Hinton Scholarships will be awarded in a typical year, but the number may vary each year. The first scholarships were awarded for the 2023 RIMR Conference.

Eligibility
Researchers from academic institutions who have a demonstrated interest in pursuing research in atrophic age-related macular degeneration research may apply. Previous years’ Hinton Scholars are ineligible.

Applicants may be clinician/scientists or basic science researchers in a field that is relevant to the scientific challenges of AMD. An MD, PhD, or equivalent is required. Applicants must be able to provide a recommendation from a faculty member who is familiar with their work.

Individuals’ current academic title should be Postdoctoral Researcher, Research Fellow, Research Scientist, Assistant Professor, or equivalent. Those with associate or full professorships or titles such as Chair, Head, Dean, or Emeritus are ineligible.

Applicants must be available to travel to Irvine, CA for the RIMR Conference.

Scholarship Amount and Terms
Scholarships amounts will vary, based on each Recipient’s travel costs.

Doheny Eye Institute will pay vendors directly for Recipients’ coach-class travel, ground transportation, meals at the conference, and lodging at the conference hotel. Recipients will be reimbursed  for incidental expenses on travel days, including:

1. Airport parking, and mileage or transit fare between home and originating airport. Daily round trip mileage between home and venue for local participants.
2. Valet parking at the hotel for local participants who drive their personal vehicles to the meeting.
3. Taxi or rideshare fares to/from John Wayne Orange County airport (SNA) to venue or hotel.
4. Tips to drivers, hotel maids, bellmen, and valets.
5. Dinner on the free night of the meeting (not to exceed the maximum listed in the conference travel policy).

Scholarship awards will be made to individuals, not to institutions, and each Recipient must sign an award agreement.

Scholarships are not transferrable and may not be carried over from one year to another. Unused scholarships are forfeited.

Application Timeline
An email will be sent to past RIMR Conference participants encouraging them to forward the scholarship program information and application to interested and qualified candidates in their institution or in other institutions. There are no restrictions on forwarding.

The application process will open on May 1 and applications must be completed by 3:00 p.m. Pacific, on June 30.

Application Process
Scholarship applications must be submitted via the online form. Applications are not accepted by email or mail.