National Eye Institute Recognizes RPB's 60th Anniversary

Plain text of the letter above is available below: 

Dear Dr. Hofland,
On behalf of the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP), I would like to congratulate Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) on its 60th anniversary as the leading nonprofit organization supporting eye research directed at the prevention, treatment, and eradication of vision threatening diseases.

RPB has been a valued stakeholder even before NEI's existence. In the late 1960s, RPB coordinated a campaign to advocate for a separate institute within NIH dedicated to vision research. This initiative, along with Congressional testimony from RPB founder, Jules Stein, resulted in legislation creating the National Eye Institute. To this day, NEI and RPB have a special relationship as partners in the vision research community.

RPB and NEI also act as both essential and complementary components along the vision research pipeline. Many early-career researchers funded by RPB go on to receive NEI funding later in their careers. NEI has also become a regular participant at RPB's Annual Vision Research Funding Partnership Meeting where multiple organizations convene to support and advance the work of the vision research community. I look forward to having NEI staff participate in this year's meeting on March 25.

Finally, NEI is grateful for the commitment RPB has made to support NEHEP as a partner in education to the American public about the importance of eye health in addition to supporting research that aims to preserve and restore vision.

We appreciate RPB's contributions to NEI, the NEHEP Partnership, the vision research community, and patients and families around the country. We look forward to collaborations with you in 2020 and beyond.

Sincerely,

Santa Tumminia, PhD

Acting Director, National Eye Institute

National Institutes of Health

February 3, 2020