VOTE Trust

Training and Education Grants 2023-24

The Victorian Optometrists Training and Education (VOTE) Trust was established in 2010 by the Optometrists Registration Board of Victoria from funds accumulated and held by the Board.

From 1 July 2010, a national registration and accreditation scheme was introduced for optometry and other health professions in Australia and the Victorian Board ceased to exist. Ministerial approval had been secured for some of the Victorian Boards reserve funds to be transferred to a trustee. The remainder of the funds were transferred to the newly established Optometry Board of Australia.

The VOTE Trust was created through a Deed of Trust between the Optometrists Registration Board of Victoria and Perpetual Trustee Company Limited. The trust fund was initially established with $490,000 with the requirements that the funds are to be held in perpetuity, invested and the income from the fund dispersed through annual grants and awards.

The Guardian of the fund is the Victorian Health Minister and a Grants Advisory Committee is appointed comprising nominees of the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, University of Melbourne, Optometry Victoria, South Australia, Australian College of Optometry, Optometry Board of Australia, The School of Medicine (Optometry), and Deakin University.

Purpose of scheme

The principal purpose of the VOTE Trust is to:

• advance and foster the practice of optometry and related techniques, procedures and policies, principally in Victoria, through research and education, to improve patient outcomes, and 
• improve Victorian optometrists’ ability to practice and Victorian students ability to undertake training principally in Victoria.

Project eligibility

The Grants Advisory Committee advises potential applicants that projects from other states/territories of Australia will be considered for funding and that applications from non optometrists interested in the profession can be considered.

Further information can be obtained by contacting a member of the Grants Advisory Committee:

• Associate Professor Andrew Anderson, aaj@unimelb.edu.au
• Mr Mitchell Anjou, manjou@unimelb.edu.au
• Professor Alex Gentle, alex.gentle@deakin.edu.au
• Ms Ilsa Hampton, i.hampton@optometry.org.au
• Mr Pete Haydon, phaydon@aco.org.au

Application Process

Applications for grants of up to $9,000 will be considered for projects that may include post graduate training and continuing education, undergraduate training and education and professional improvement. At least two grants are expected to be awarded in 2023.

The 2023–2024 applications are closed.

Guidelines for applicants:

• VOTE Trust training and education grants 2023-2024 (146 KB, PDF), Word version (34.0 KB, DOCX)

Successful VOTE Trust 2023-24 applicants

The successful applicants and projects were:

A/Professor Andrew Anderson, The University of Melbourne

Understanding how vision loss impacts our patient’s visual enjoyment.

Professor Sharon Bentley, Queensland University of Technology

The Leaders in Indigenous Optometry Network’s (LIOEN’s) Repository of Resources.