Collaborations
To make faster progress toward treatments and clinical trials for people living with inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the Foundation will expand the number of organizations and experts we work with. Stronger partnerships will allow us to strengthen existing programs, launch new initiatives, and move promising research forward more efficiently.
We will also pursue partnerships that support essential activities beyond research grants—such as staffing, communications, community engagement, and fundraising—so we can keep building momentum across all areas of our mission.
Strategy 1: Build more mission-driven partnerships.
We will grow relationships with scientists, clinicians, industry leaders, and patient advocates who share our mission. These partnerships help spark new ideas, identify unmet needs, and accelerate the development of treatments. By engaging more experts, we can bring innovative thinking into the field, address barriers more quickly, and help promising solutions reach patients sooner.
Strategy 2: Fund key resources through partnerships.
Many of our most important research tools—such as studies focused on high-priority disease genes, postdoctoral fellowships, and the My Retina Tracker® Registry—require sustained investment. We will work with government agencies, private foundations, universities, and companies to co-fund these resources. Shared funding allows us to expand these programs and speed up scientific discovery.
Strategy 3: Create a sustainable model for the My Retina Tracker® Registry (MRTR) and Genetic Testing Program.
The My Retina Tracker® Registry and our no cost genetic testing program provide critical information that fuels research and helps connect people to clinical trials. To protect and grow these programs for the future, we will develop a long-term funding and operations model in collaboration with partners who rely on these resources to advance their work.
