About the ICO/IFOS:

G.O.H. Naumann Award for Leadership in Global Eye Care

Nominations Requested for Naumann Award

Members of the International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies (IFOS) are requested to submit nominations for the "G.O.H. Naumann Award for Leadership in Global Eye Care" no later than November 15.

The International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) established the Naumann Award in February 2006 to recognize both the leadership that Fritz Naumann, MD, provided as ICO President from 1998 to 2006 and the importance that he placed on ophthalmology and ophthalmologists providing leadership for the preservation of vision worldwide.

The Award will be given each year to an ophthalmologist who, acting as a leader of a national or supranational ophthalmologic society that is a member of IFOS, has made a significant contribution to global eye care.

The emphasis is not on clinical or scientific achievements but on development of educational programs or other initiatives that can serve as models for other societies. Members of the Council and its Advisory Committee are not eligible for the Award.

Please send a summary of the achievements of the nominee and his or her CV to leadership@icoph.org by November 15. The ICO will forward the nominations to the supranational societies, which will recommend a candidate from their region to the Naumann Award Committee by December 15.

The Committee, which is chaired by ICO Vice President Akef El Maghraby, MD,will review nominations, and the Awardee will be announced no later than January 1, 2007.

The ICO will pay travel and hotel expenses for the Awardee to attend and participate in the Council meeting the following year. The Awardee will be asked to report to the Council on the initiative that he or she has led, and how it may be implemented by other societies. The presentation will be featured in the ICO Leader Letter and ICO Web site.

In 2007, the Council and its committees will meet March 22 and 23 in Cape Town, South Africa, in conjunction with the Ophthalmological Society of South Africa.

Following is the full text of the award approved by the Council:

Background:

One of Professor G.O.H. Naumann’s most important contributions as President of the International Council of Ophthalmology has been to emphasize the importance of leadership in global eye care.

He not only reminds us of the role of the International Council of Ophthalmology in founding the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, but stresses how critical it is for ophthalmology and ophthalmologists to continue to provide leadership in preservation of vision worldwide.

Under his leadership, the ICO has worked vigorously on a "Vision for the Future" for international ophthalmology, focusing on preservation of vision, and developing Assessments, Fellowships, Guidelines and many other educational programs designed to help ophthalmologists to improve global eye care.

Proposal:

An appropriate recognition will occur if the Council establishes a “G.O.H. Naumann Award for Leadership in Global Eye Care."

Rather than being awarded once every four years, it will be given annually to an ophthalmologist who, acting as a leader of a supranational or national society that is a member of the International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies (IFOS), has made a significant contribution to global eye care.

The emphasis will not be on clinical or scientific achievements but on leading the community to promote educational programs and to establish service models for other societies. Members of the Council and Advisory Committee would not be eligible for the award.

Implementation:

IFOS members and supranational societies may make nominations each year, and a small committee chaired by the Vice President will pick the winner.

In addition to the honor of receiving this award, ICO will pay for the traveling expenses of the Awardee to attend and participate in the meeting of the Council in the following year. The awardee will be asked to report to the Council on the initiative that he or she has led, and how it may be implemented by other societies.

The presentation will be featured in the ICO Leader Letter and will be added to the ICO Web site. The recipient of this award will be asked to participate in the Council meeting and provide feedback to the Council from the perspective of a local, supranational or global environment.

At each meeting, the Council will have a different IFOS Awardee who would see how the Council works and the Council will get a look at a potential future leader.

Travel and hotel costs for the Awardee will be reimbursed. The cost may be $2000 a year or less. One option will be to select an awardee from the supranational region where the ICO is going to meet, but it will be better to have the award open to ophthalmologists from all over the world each year.

Next: 2006 President's Report