Travel Grants

The Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) is committed to promoting excellence in ophthalmology and nurturing the professional development of ophthalmologists, researchers, residents, and trainees across the Asia-Pacific region.

This year, the highly anticipated 42^nd APAO Congress will take place from March 18 – 21, 2027 in Singapore. To foster knowledge exchange and collaboration, we are offering three types of travel grants to support aspiring delegates in attending this congress:

APAO Prof. Yasuo Tano Travel Grants

Awards available: 10

Eligibility:

- Open to all ophthalmologists in the Asia-Pacific region, including fully licensed eye doctors, residents, trainees, and fellows, with priority for those from developing countries
- No age limit, but candidates aged 40 or below will be given an advantage
- Must submit at least one abstract (free paper/ poster/ e-poster/ video/ instruction course) as the first author to APAO 2027
- Previous recipients (except those from 2026) will be considered, though priority will be given to first-timers
- Applicants may concurrently apply for the APAO Young Ophthalmologists Travel Grants, but will be selected for up to one grant only

APAO Young Ophthalmologists (YO) Travel Grants

Awards available: 5

Eligibility:

- Young ophthalmologists, including fully licensed eye doctors, residents, trainees, and fellows
- From a developing country in the Asia-Pacific region
- Must be aged below 40
- Must submit at least one abstract (free paper/ poster/ e-poster/ video/ instruction course) as the first author to APAO 2027
- Applicants may concurrently apply for the APAO Yasuo Tano Travel Grants, but will be selected for up to one grant only

SNEC Travel Grants

Awards available: 15

Aligned with the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC)’s mission to prevent blindness, improve sight, and shape the future of ophthalmology, the SNEC Travel Grants aim to support delegates from the Asia-Pacific region to participate in the APAO 2027 Congress, fostering knowledge exchange and advancing patient care, education, and research.

Applicants for the APAO Prof. Yasuo Tano Travel Grants will be automatically considered for the SNEC Travel Grants. No separate application is required.

Awards

Winners of any type of Travel Grants will receive:

funding of US$300 for those residing in Singapore, or US$1,000 for those living elsewhere
complimentary registration for the APAO 2027 Congress
invitation to the Congress Cultural Party

Application

Applications must be submitted via the Scientific Portal at https://congress.2027.apaophth.org/. After logging in, navigate to “Awards & Grants” and click on the “Travel Grant Application” tab.
Deadline: September 30, 2026, at 23:59 (GMT+8).
Eligible applicants may concurrently apply for the APAO Prof. Yasuo Tano Travel Grants and the APAO Young Ophthalmologists (YO) Travel Grants, but will be selected for only up to one out of the three types (APAO Prof. Yasuo Tano Travel Grants / APAO Young Ophthalmologists (YO) Travel Grants / SNEC Travel Grants).

Timeline

*Project timeline may be subject to minor adjustments.

Selection

The Travel Grants Committees will start selection after the abstract results are announced.
Only applicants who have an abstract (as the first author) accepted by the APAO 2027 Scientific Program Committee will be considered as potential candidates for the Travel Grants. Please note that abstract review and Travel Grant selection are two independent processes conducted by different committees. Abstracts are anonymized in the review process, and the acceptance of your abstract does not guarantee the award of a travel grant.
Geographical balance will be taken into consideration when the Travel Grant Committees vet applications.
Successful candidates will be notified by the end of November. Those who do not hear back from APAO after that may consider their applications unsuccessful.

Note on Congress Registration Fee Payment

For successful applicants who have already paid the Congress registration fee by the time a Travel Grant is awarded, a full refund will be processed.