Research To Prevent Blindness
Research to Prevent Blindness is the leading U.S. nonprofit funding vision research, awarding ~$10-12M annually across individual researcher and departmental grants to U.S. academic medical centers; founded 1960, with $441M+ cumulative grants to date.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1960
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Research To Prevent Blindness does
Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) is the leading U.S. nonprofit organization supporting vision research, founded in 1960 by Dr. Jules Stein and headquartered in New York City. RPB operates a two-pronged grant-making model that funds both individual vision researchers and departments of ophthalmology at U.S. academic medical centers, with annual grant disbursement of approximately $10-12 million and cumulative grants exceeding $441 million across 4,791 awards since inception.
RPB does not develop proprietary technology; rather, its 'product' is a structured portfolio of grant programs spanning the career pipeline from medical students ($30,000 fellowships) through early-career faculty ($350,000 Career Development Awards and $150,000 Career Advancement Awards) to established investigators ($300,000 Stein Innovation Awards, $300,000 Physician-Scientist Awards) and departmental grants ($150,000/year Unrestricted Grants and $360,000 Challenge Grants). Specialty awards target specific diseases including AMD, glaucoma, amblyopia, diabetic retinal disease, and ocular cancer, often via co-funding partnerships with medical associations (AAO, AUPO), disease-focused foundations (AMDF, IRRF, The Glaucoma Foundation), and corporate sponsors (Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Apellis, Johnson & Johnson, Castle Biosciences).
RPB's business model is IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) charitable fundraising (EIN #13-1945117) — it accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners and disburses them as peer-reviewed grants across two annual cycles (spring and fall). Its primary customer segments are vision researchers at U.S. academic medical centers, departments of ophthalmology, and the patient/public audience for its educational resources (Learning Center, webinars). The organization maintains a small staff of 1-10 employees, with President Brian F. Hofland, PhD leading the organization. RPB is governed by a Scientific Advisory Panel and holds Charity Navigator 4-Star and GuideStar Platinum Transparency ratings.
Research To Prevent Blindness firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Research To Prevent Blindness
- Legal name
- Research to Prevent Blindness
- Website
- https://rpbusa.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1960
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Research to Prevent Blindness is the leading U.S. nonprofit funding vision research, awarding ~$10-12M annually across individual researcher and departmental grants to U.S. academic medical centers; founded 1960, with $441M+ cumulative grants to date.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Research To Prevent Blindness industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vision Research Grants / Nonprofit Medical Research Funding
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)
- SIC
- Services-Health Services (8000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)
Keywords
Where Research To Prevent Blindness is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Research To Prevent Blindness business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: RPB is an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN #13-1945117) that raises funds from individual donors, foundations, and corporate partners to support vision research grants. The organization accepts both individual and organizational donations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Medical Student Eye Research Fellowship: $30,000 for 1 year |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Career Development Award: $350,000 for up to 4 years |
| Other | Annual | Unrestricted Grant: $150,000 annually for 5 years |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Challenge Grant: $360,000 for up to 4 years |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Stein Innovation Award: $300,000 for 3 years |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Research To Prevent Blindness product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Research to Prevent Blindness is a nonprofit grant-making organization that funds vision science research in the United States. It operates a two-pronged grant model awarding individual researcher grants (Career Development, Career Advancement, Physician-Scientist, Stein Innovation, International Collaborators Awards and Medical Student Fellowships) and departmental grants (Unrestricted and Challenge Grants) to departments of ophthalmology at U.S. academic medical centers. RPB also supports patient and clinician education via the Learning Center and webinars, distributing roughly $10–12 million annually.
Product overview
Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) operates as a nonprofit grants organization funding vision science research, not a traditional product company. Its offerings consist of a portfolio of grant programs and awards supporting researchers at various career stages, plus educational resources. The core grants portfolio includes individual researcher awards (Career Development Award, Career Advancement Award, Physician-Scientist Award, Stein Innovation Award, International Research Collaborators Award) and departmental grants (Unrestricted Grant, Challenge Grant). Specialty awards target specific diseases (Catalyst Award for AMD, Disney Award for Amblyopia, glaucoma-focused awards with Aerie Pharmaceuticals and TGF) and populations (Medical Student Fellowships). RPB also maintains the Learning Center providing patient education and hosts webinars. Total annual grant funding is approximately $10-12 million.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- RPB Career Development Award $350,000 over up to four years supporting early-career ophthalmology faculty at RPB-supported departments to launch independent research careers.
- RPB Career Advancement Award $150,000 one-time award for outstanding early-career vision scientists who have received their first NIH R01 and are collecting data for a second R01.
- RPB Unrestricted Grant $150,000 annual grant, renewed annually for up to five years, providing maximum flexibility to ophthalmology departments at U.S. academic medical centers.
- RPB Challenge Grant $360,000 four-year departmental grant encouraging growth for emerging eye research programs and newly appointed department chairs, requiring medical school matching commitment.
- RPB Physician-Scientist Award $300,000 award promoting clinical, translational, and basic science research of clinician researchers (MDs or MD/PhDs) at RPB-supported departments.
- RPB Stein Innovation Award $300,000 seed award over three years for high-risk/high-gain vision science research from researchers inside or outside ophthalmology departments.
- RPB International Research Collaborators Award $75,000 award promoting international collaborations where U.S. and international researchers exchange knowledge and skills through reciprocal research visits.
- RPB Medical Student Eye Research Fellowship $30,000 one-year fellowship allowing medical students to conduct research in RPB-supported ophthalmology departments, with additional $8,000 available for relocation assistance.
- RPB Catalyst Award for Innovative Research Approaches for AMD $300,000 co-funded award with the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, Dr. H. James and Carole Free, and the International Retinal Research Foundation supporting novel approaches to understanding or treating age-related macular degeneration.
- RPB Walt and Lilly Disney Award for Amblyopia Research Award supporting exceptional researchers doing significant work in amblyopia pathophysiology, diagnosis, and/or treatment.
- RPB Transformational Team Science Award New $950,000 large-scale team science grant program; inaugural award funds the Eyewire II consortium creating the first fully-mapped region of the mammalian central nervous system (mouse retina connectome).
- RPB / Tom Wertheimer Career Development Award in Data Science $350,000 specialized Career Development Award over four years for vision research using artificial intelligence and data science for sight-threatening conditions.
- RPB / Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative Physician-Scientist Award $300,000 partnership award focused on retinal research for diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, and diabetic retinal neurodegeneration.
- RPB / AAO Award for IRIS Registry Research Partnership award with the American Academy of Ophthalmology providing $35,000 plus database access and training for big data eye disease research using the IRIS Registry (70+ million patients).
- RPB / David L. Epstein Career Advancement Award in Glaucoma Research $150,000 partnership award with Aerie Pharmaceuticals for outstanding early-career glaucoma researchers who have received their first NIH R01 and are collecting data for a second R01.
- RPB / TGF Glaucoma Fellowship Partnership fellowship co-funded with The Glaucoma Foundation for medical students conducting glaucoma research, administered by The Glaucoma Foundation.
- RPB David F. Weeks Award for Outstanding Vision Research Prestigious annual award funded by RPB, an anonymous donor, and the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology, recognizing an excellent vision researcher each year in honor of former RPB President David F. Weeks.
- RPB Learning Center Online educational resource providing patients and families with information about eye anatomy, common eye diseases, and disease directories covering dry eye, glaucoma, AMD, diabetic retinal disease, and more.
- RPB Webinars and Videos Educational video content including the Lunch & Learn webinar series covering diabetic retinopathy, low vision, ocular genetics, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and Stargardt disease.
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly every major breakthrough in vision research has been associated with RPB funding since 1960
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Research To Prevent Blindness
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Research To Prevent Blindness technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Research To Prevent Blindness partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Eyewire II ConsortiumflagshipRPB awarded $950,000 Transformational Team Science Award to Eyewire II project creating the first fully-mapped region of the mammalian central nervous system (mouse retina connectome). The project combines functional calcium imaging and 3D electron microscopy to create complete wiring diagrams. Funding goes to Northwestern University which disperses to international team members including researchers from Princeton University and University of Tübingen.
- American Macular Degeneration FoundationcoreCo-funding partner for Catalyst Awards for Innovative Research Approaches for AMD. One award of $300,000 given through this partnership.
- Dr. H. James and Carole FreecoreCo-funding partner for Catalyst Awards for Innovative Research Approaches for AMD. One award of $300,000 given through this partnership (pending funding).
- International Retinal Research Foundation (IRRF)coreCo-funding partner for Catalyst Awards for Innovative Research Approaches for AMD. One award of $300,000 given through this partnership.
- The Glaucoma FoundationcoreCo-funding partnership for medical student fellowship focused on glaucoma research. The TGF/RPB Glaucoma Fellowships are administered by The Glaucoma Foundation.
- Vision Research Funding Partnership SponsorsminorEvent sponsors for Vision Research Funding Partnership 2025 including Visionary Sponsor Apellis Pharmaceuticals; Gold Sponsors AAO, Johnson & Johnson, Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative; Silver Sponsors Alkeus, All May See, Glaucoma Research Foundation, Prevent Blindness, Topcon Healthcare; Bronze Sponsors American Macular Degeneration Foundation, ARVO, EyeSight Foundation of Alabama, International Retinal Research Foundation.
- Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO)coreAnnual co-funding partnership for the RPB David F. Weeks Award for Outstanding Vision Research. AUPO is a nonprofit dedicated to research and education in academic ophthalmology, founded in 1966.
- American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)corePartnership since 2018 for the RPB/AAO Award for IRIS Registry Research, leveraging the IRIS Registry database of 70+ million patients to answer pressing questions about eye diseases. Recipients receive database access and $10,000 in research funds plus $35,000 total award.
- Mary Tyler Moore Vision InitiativecoreCo-funding partnership for the Physician-Scientist Award focused on diabetic retinal disease research. Initiative founded by Dr. S. Robert Levine to end vision loss from diabetes following his wife Mary Tyler Moore's condition.
- Aerie PharmaceuticalscorePartnership to fund the RPB/David L. Epstein Career Advancement Award in Glaucoma Research sponsored by Aerie Pharmaceuticals. Two awards of $150,000 each for researchers who have received their first NIH R01 and are collecting data for a second R01.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Research To Prevent Blindness competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Foundation Fighting Blindness: The leading U.S. nonprofit funding retinal degenerative disease research, with similar mission, donor-funded grantmaking model, and grantee ecosystem. Directly comparable as another vision-specific private grantmaking foundation.
- BrightFocus Foundation: Funds research on macular degeneration, glaucoma, and Alzheimer's through grants to academic researchers. Comparable donor-funded grantmaking model focused on vision (and adjacent neurodegenerative) disease research.
- Glaucoma Research Foundation: U.S. nonprofit funding glaucoma-specific research through grants to academic medical centers. Directly comparable mission overlap and donor-funded grantmaking structure; co-funds some RPB programs including medical student fellowships.
- Prevent Blindness: U.S. nonprofit focused on vision health through advocacy, education, and research support. Comparable mission and donor base; participates in RPB's Vision Research Funding Partnership. Overlapping focus on vision research funding and public education.
- American Macular Degeneration Foundation: U.S. nonprofit specifically funding age-related macular degeneration research and patient education. Co-funds RPB's Catalyst Award for AMD, evidencing direct operational overlap in vision research grantmaking.
- International Retinal Research Foundation: Nonprofit funding retinal disease research, co-funding partner with RPB on the Catalyst Award for AMD. Directly comparable grantmaking model focused on vision research.
Broad incumbents
- National Eye Institute (NEI): The U.S. federal government's primary vision research funding agency. RPB helped establish NEI in 1968. NEI is a far larger public funder; both serve the same grantee ecosystem and have complementary catalytic roles.
Emerging players
- Helen Keller Foundation: Smaller nonprofit supporting vision and hearing research through grants. Overlapping mission in vision research funding but with a narrower programmatic portfolio than RPB.
- Knights Templar Eye Foundation: Charitable foundation funding pediatric vision research and ophthalmology education. Comparable donor-funded grantmaking model with a narrower (pediatric) focus than RPB.
- Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative: Nonprofit focused on diabetic retinal disease research co-founded by Dr. S. Robert Levine. Co-funds RPB's Physician-Scientist Award, evidencing direct operational overlap in vision research grantmaking with narrower disease focus.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Research To Prevent Blindness social profiles
Digital presenceResearch To Prevent Blindness financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Research To Prevent Blindness leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Research To Prevent Blindness funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Research To Prevent Blindness M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
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Frequently asked questions about Research To Prevent Blindness
What does Research To Prevent Blindness do?
Research to Prevent Blindness is a nonprofit grant-making organization that funds vision science research in the United States. It operates a two-pronged grant model awarding individual researcher grants (Career Development, Career Advancement, Physician-Scientist, Stein Innovation, International Collaborators Awards and Medical Student Fellowships) and departmental grants (Unrestricted and Challenge Grants) to departments of ophthalmology at U.S. academic medical centers. RPB also supports patient and clinician education via the Learning Center and webinars, distributing roughly $10–12 million annually.
Is Research To Prevent Blindness a public or private company?
Research To Prevent Blindness is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Research To Prevent Blindness founded?
Research To Prevent Blindness was founded in 1960. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Research To Prevent Blindness based?
Research To Prevent Blindness is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Research To Prevent Blindness make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are Research To Prevent Blindness's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Foundation Fighting Blindness, BrightFocus Foundation, Glaucoma Research Foundation, Prevent Blindness, American Macular Degeneration Foundation and International Retinal Research Foundation. National Eye Institute (NEI) is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Helen Keller Foundation, Knights Templar Eye Foundation and Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative.
Does Research To Prevent Blindness have an API?
No public API is recorded for Research To Prevent Blindness.
What industry is Research To Prevent Blindness in?
Research To Prevent Blindness's product category is Vision Research Grants / Nonprofit Medical Research Funding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAL, Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8000.