Moorfields Eye Charity

Moorfields Eye Charity, the fundraising arm of Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and its research partner UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, upholds a 200-year tradition of charitable support dating to the hospital's 1805 founding. Its mission is to fund world-class research, innovation, and patient care improvements in eye health, transforming lives affected by sight loss amid projections of doubled UK cases in 30 years. Rooted in the ethos that "sight profoundly matters," it prioritizes evidence-driven investments in breakthroughs like gene therapy for inherited diseases, diagnostics for myopia, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and AI-enhanced surgical technologies, alongside capacity-building via PhD studentships, fellowships, career awards, and equipment for modeling eye diseases.

It exclusively funds projects led by staff or affiliates of Moorfields Eye Hospital or UCL Institute of Ophthalmology in London, targeting academic institutions rather than external charities or communities directly. No unsolicited applications from outsiders are accepted, emphasizing deep ties to these world-leading hubs whose innovations yield UK-wide and global impact.

Grants range from £3,000–£100,000 for innovation/improvement projects (rolling basis, decisions in 3–5 months) to larger fellowships and career awards (annual rounds; next EOI deadline 15 July 2025). Applications start with EOI via Flexigrant, progressing to full proposals with peer review. It excludes core costs, unrestricted funding, animal research unless essential (with strict welfare), and top-up grants. Distinctively, it drives open-access research, partnerships, and major capital like the £100m Oriel centre, uniquely integrating hospital excellence with transformative ophthalmic ambition.