COOPERVISION PRESENTS 2ND ANNUAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AWARDS PROGRAM
For the second consecutive year, CooperVision is offering the CooperVision Science and Technology (S&T) Awards Program. The goal of this awards program is to bring recipients and CooperVision scientists together to explore new areas of technology advancement in contact lens applications. In a statement, the company says: “CooperVision recognizes and highly values the discovery of innovative ideas that have the potential to deliver benefits to current and future contact lens wearers around the world.”

“CooperVision is fully committed to fostering translational research from external sources, and this awards program is the ideal platform to act on that commitment,” says Arthur Back, chief technology officer for CooperVision. “The fiscal year 2014 program was a great success with multiple awards funded. These awards allow scientists to bring their ideas forward as well as provide the means to translate the award recipients’ theories into practical opportunities that expand the applications with contact lenses.”

The CooperVision S&T Awards Program is comprised of two awards: the CooperVision Seedling Award and the CooperVision Translational Research Award. Research proposals should demonstrate significant potential for research discoveries and technological advancements that CooperVision can rapidly commercialize to improve the performance, enhance the functionality and/or broaden the use of contact lenses.

The CooperVision Seedling Award is intended to incentivize collaborations with CooperVision in a new research area for a one-year period. The award enables investigators to generate preliminary data that could be used toward a future CooperVision Translational Research Award. The maximum total cash amount for a CooperVision seedling is $100,000, including indirect costs.

A CooperVision Translational Research Award is a multiyear award for a substantive translational research project. Research under this award is milestone-driven in order to remain focused on a well-defined goal. A CooperVision Translational Research Award provides funding for up to two years, totaling up to $400,000, including indirect costs. A maximum of $250,000 can be requested for any one year. A CooperVision Translational Research Award may be considered for renewal at the end of the initial research period. Information about the application process and application materials are posted at coopervision.com/our-company/science-and-technology-awards.

FIRST INSIGHT RECEIVES SURESCRIPTS 2013 WHITE COAT OF QUALITY AWARD

First Insight Corporation, developer of MaximEyes Cloud Based Certified EHR and Practice Management Software for eyecare professionals, announced that Surescripts awarded First Insight the 2013 White Coat of Quality Award for its commitment to upholding the highest standards of continuous quality improvement in e-prescribing. This is First Insight’s third year in a row to receive this recognition.

The Surescripts White Coat of Quality distinction for health care software technology is an important part of First Insight’s continuous Quality Management Framework. The White Coat of Quality is Surescripts’ highest recognition for software providers that uphold strict standards for clinical quality and best practices in e-prescribing.

In order to earn a 2013 White Coat of Quality award, software providers were required to submit a quality commitment letter signed by senior leadership affirming its company’s commitment toward a goal of zero electronic prescription content errors; measure their e-prescription content error levels monthly and report to Surescripts in final submission; make software changes needed to reduce e-prescription clinical content error levels; communicate with or train end users on how to better utilize their e-prescribing system to reduce clinical content errors.

“Surescripts is proud that our truly collaborative efforts with software technology providers are producing continuous quality improvements in e-prescribing and electronic information exchange,” says Ajit Dhavle, PharmD., Surescripts director of clinical quality. “It is an honor to work closely with First Insight who is committed to implementing our proven e-prescribing best practices and who worked hard to once again earn the White Coat of Quality distinction.” 

—Andrew Karp