Mavis and Ivan Rowe Prize for Retinal Diseases Research

Key scholarship details

Application status

Open for applications

Applications open

5 Jun 2026

Applications close

15 Sep 2026

Benefit amount

Up to $3,664

Eligible study level

Graduate research

Eligible student type

Domestic and international students

Benefit duration

One-off

Summary

Donor: David Wiesenfeld Pty Ltd donated to the University to memorialise the late Mavis Hilda Rowe and Ivan Claude Rowe, the parents of Alison Margaret Wiesenfeld, a director of the donor.

The Mavis and Ivan Rowe Prize for Retinal Diseases Research is awarded each year to a student who is researching retinal diseases at the University or at the Centre for Eye Research Australia (‘CERA’), preferably research regarding age-related macular degeneration; the University is to encourage the recipient of the prize to use the sum awarded to attend the annual conference of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

Benefits

The value of the prize will be based on the income arising from the fund since the prize was last awarded. The recipient of the prize is encouraged to use the sum awarded to attend the annual conference of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

Eligibility and selection criteria

Eligibility

To be considered for this prize, you must:

Have successfully enrolled and commenced a higher degree by research (PhD or Master of Philosophy) at the University of Melbourne and at the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA)
Be researching a project that relates to eye health, the treatment of eye disease or the prevention of eye disease (preferably in age-related macular degeneration)

Selection criteria

The committee will compile a shortlist and the recipient is to be awarded upon the recommendation of the head of the department of Ophthalmology. The selection committee will take into consideration the applicants’ previous academic records and achievements in their deliberation.

Scholarships will be ranked on a competitive basis on the following criteria:

Type of presentation (i.e. oral or poster)
Research output to date
Year of candidature
Application for other travel funding
Relevance to research in age-related eye disease

Conditions

Recipients of the Mavis & Ivan Rowe Scholarship are expected to complete a post-travel report within one month of returning from the Conference attended.

The Mavis & Ivan Rowe Scholarship can be used to supplement other travel awards (except for Harold Mitchell Award or scholarship travel allowance).

Application

How to apply

Annual calls for application will be announced internally to students studying at Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery; CERA.

To apply, students are required to submit a completed application form along with their supporting documents, which must include a copy of their (proposed or accepted) abstracts, a statement in support and may include a letter of recommendation from their supervisor.

As part of the application, students must submit a statement of support (between 500 and 1,000 words) demonstrating:

A desire to find better detection and/or treatment for eye disease.
Detailed understanding of the subject of their research, explaining the need for research to be undertaken in this area.
Why they feel their research will benefit from attending a conference.

To apply, please contact education@cera.org.au

When will I know the outcome?

The prize will be awarded upon recommendation by the Head of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery.

The information listed here is subject to change without notice. Where we have listed information about jointly run scholarships programs, please also see our partners' websites. Information describing the number and value of scholarships awarded is indicative.

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