Travel Grants

 

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. As part of its efforts to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration, it offers two types of Travel Grants to support aspiring delegates in attending its annual congress each year.

This year, the highly anticipated 41^st APAO Congress will take place from February 5 – 8, 2026 in Hong Kong, China. We encourage up-and-coming professionals in the field to join us and apply for the following opportunities:

APAO Prof. Yasuo Tano Travel Grants

Awards available: 10

Eligibility:

• • Open to all ophthalmologists in the Asia-Pacific region, with priority for those from developing countries
  • No age limit, but candidates aged 40 or below will be given an advantage
  • Preferably have abstracts (free paper/ poster/ e-poster/ video/ instruction course) accepted by the APAO 2026 Scientific Program Committee
  • Previous recipients (except those from 2025) will be considered, though priority will be given to first-timers

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 have abstracts (free paper/ poster/ e-poster/ video/ instruction course) accepted by the APAO 2026 Scientific Program Committee

Awards 

Winners of both types of Travel Grants will receive:

• funding of US$300 for those residing in Hong Kong, or US$1,000 for those living elsewhere
• complimentary registration for the APAO 2026 Congress
• invitation to the Congress Cultural Party

Application and Selection

• Application Period: Applications must be submitted via the congress system at https://congress.2026.apaophth.org. After logging in, navigate to ‘Registration’ and click on the ‘APAO Travel Grants’ tab. The online application will open on June 5, 2025 and close on September 30, 2025, at 23:59 (GMT+8).

• Concurrent Applications: Individuals who meet the eligibility requirements for both types of Travel Grants may apply for them concurrently. However, they can be selected for only one grant.

• Selection Process: Selection will be made by the APAO Travel Grants Committees. Successful candidates will be notified by December 2025. Those who do not hear back from APAO after that may consider their applications unsuccessful.

• Refund Policy: 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.