CORAL SPRINGS, Fla.—ABB Optical Group (ABB), in conjunction with Paragon Vision Sciences, has announced that it is accepting abstract submissions for the seventh annual Optometry Student Challenge. The Optometry Student Challenge will award travel grants of $1,500 each to three third- or fourth-year optometry students to attend the 2022 Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS), which is scheduled for Jan. 19-22, 2022, in Las Vegas, and to present a scientific poster on a topic of the student’s choice related to contact lenses.

"Even in the midst of the uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic last year, we had an incredible response from optometry students who amazed us with their outstanding submissions and we certainly expect even better participation for this year’s challenge,” ABB’s professional education consultant Dede Reyes said in the announcement. "We’re very excited to once again offer challenge winners the opportunity to travel to the Global Specialty Lens Symposium, present their winning posters and connect with their eyecare industry peers. The passion, dedication and commitment to their chosen profession are evident in each student’s submission, and we look forward to seeing what the 2021 challenge brings.”

In December, ABB and Paragon Vision Sciences will hold a live webinar in which the top six student challenge finalists will present their posters virtually. Attendees will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite poster presentation. Scores will be incorporated in the overall judging of the winners. Last year, more than 230 attendees participated in the webinar and supported challenge finalists during their live virtual poster presentations.

“We at ABB are so inspired and impressed by every student who has participated in previous Optometry Student Challenge events, and we know the contestants for 2021 will continue to amaze us,” ABB Optical Group chief executive officer Tom Burke said. “We look forward to the collaboration and participation from optometry schools, industry business partners, and other supporters as we look to make this year’s challenge the best one yet.”

Optometry Student Challenge Program Rules

  • Third- and fourth-year students who are interested in participating must register by Aug. 31. Registered students must then submit an abstract on their proposed poster topic by Oct. 15.

  • Abstracts must focus on study projects or student-based case histories within the following categories: scleral lenses, corneal reshaping and general contact lenses. One winner and one runner-up will be selected within each of these categories.

  • Abstracts will be judged in two categories: case study report and research. Six finalists will be selected and notified by Oct. 22.

  • The finalists will then be required to convert their abstracts into scientific posters for further judging. The posters must be submitted in digital, PDF format to ABB Optical Group no later than Nov. 12. The live virtual poster presentation will take place Dec. 8.

  • Results of this competition will be communicated with the winners and runners-up by Dec. 9.

  • The lead authors of the top three posters will be awarded travel grants of $1,500 each to attend the 2022 symposium and present their posters. Additionally, three runner-up authors will receive honorable mention prizes of $250 each.
“The optical industry of tomorrow is in the hands of the bright, intelligent optometry students of today,” general manager of the Americas for Paragon Vision Sciences David Raimondo said. “We’re proud to once again partner with ABB Optical Group to bring the Optometry Student Challenge to encourage and support the next generation of optometrists. We hope that the continuation of the live presentation component will help bring our industry together in support of encouraging these students to continue with their passion.”

For more information on the Optometry Student Challenge, including full contest rules and guidelines, visit the website here.