In recent years there has been rapid growth of innovative discoveries in basic vision science laboratories throughout the world, some constituting potentially major breakthroughs for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of eye diseases and disorders.

In order to examine the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of applying these new discoveries to the clinical setting, individuals are needed with clinical experience and advanced training in patient-based eye and vision science. Unfortunately, there is currently a critical lack of well-trained clinician scientists to determine how effective these laboratory developments may be in improving eye care.

The translation of basic science into the clinical patient setting requires special skills that are not usually part of the clinician's professional training. The BCSDP has been formed in response to this essential need for translational scientific investigation.

 See the interview with Director Kenneth Polse: Translational Research

• Opportunity for Career Change: Established clinicians now have a full-time program to assist in making a career shift from clinical practice and teaching to one centered on the combination of teaching and independent, federally funded, patient-based eye and vision research.

• Exceptional Faculty Mentors: The BCSDP features a distinguished, diverse, and multidisciplinary mentoring group of nationally recognized scientists and clinicians in one of seven clinical research areas: Retinal Disease, Corneal Disease, Strabismus, Amblyopia, Visual Processing, Lens & Cataract, and Low Vision & Blindness Rehabilitation. Mentors have substantial experience training clinicians in the clinical and/or basic sciences. To ensure multi-disciplinary training, each trainee will not only be closely supervised by a principal mentor, but will also receive guidance from one or more associate mentors.

• Substantial Resources: We are in an outstanding position to offer the necessary resources and commitment to conduct a premier advanced-training program in patient-based eye and vision research. We have recruited faculty from a wide range of campus groups and departments at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco, including Vision Science, Public Health, Infectious Disease, Biostatistics, Neuroscience, Molecular & Cell Biology, Chemical Engineering, and Optometry. We offer a unique interface among health care, basic science, and applied science — all with top-rated faculty.

• Training Duration: The commitment required to complete the BCSDP will be full-time (12-months per year) for 3-5 years. Each timeline will be planned by the trainee and lead mentor in consultation with the Advisory Committee and Program Director. Program duration may be slightly longer for trainees seeking advanced graduate degrees, depending on such factors as prior research experience, the demands of the research project, and specific career and training goals of the awardee.

• Degree Option: Trainees may elect to obtain advanced degrees, such as PhD, MS, or MPH, but this is an optional component of the BCSDP. The degree program must be consistent with the goals of the individual's BCSDP training plan, and approval from both the Primary Mentor and Program Director is mandatory before the trainee may apply any BCSDP support toward fulfillment of degree requirements. Please note the following:
  • Admittance to the BCSDP does not guarantee acceptance into a University of California degree program.
  • Application to a degree program must be made separately from application to the BCSDP. For more information, see the UCB Vision Science Graduate Program (MS or PhD) or the UCB School of Public Health (MPH).
  • If a candidate is accepted by both the BCDSP and a graduate degree program, the funding provided by the BCSDP may be used in partial support of tuition, research, and training leading to the degree.
  
  
  
• Curriculum: Training will include six curriculum components: (1) Didactic courses (Core curriculum); (2) Seminars (Core curriculum); (3) Elective topic-specific and mentor-crafted courses and seminars; (4) Attendance and participation at scientific meetings; (5) Directed research closely supervised by principal and associate mentors; and (6) training in grant writing.

• Monitoring of Trainee Progress: Lead mentors will monitor the ongoing success of their currently enrolled trainees and will provide the Program Director, Advisory Committee, and External Monitoring Committee with a yearly summary of trainee performance. Progress will be evaluated by courses and seminars successfully completed, meetings attended, papers or seminars presented, research projects developed or completed, grants written, submitted, or awarded, and papers submitted or published.

• Financial Support: The NIH will provide competitive professional salaries — depending on previous training, research experience, professional appointments, and years since obtaining professional degrees. For more information, see BCSDP Financial Support.