NEW YORK (September 13, 2017)—The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) today issued a call for nominations for the 2018 Corinne Kirchner Research Award, which honors the best minds in the field of visual impairment.
Qualified candidates are individual researchers or research teams who have, through published work, made groundbreaking contributions to the field of blindness and low vision. The work must address topics related to blindness or low vision and have been recently published in a peer-reviewed journal or scholarly publication. The award recognizes research that employs a novel approach or investigates a new area of inquiry with the potential to impact policy or systems change. Research that reflects innovative methods or inquiries will receive favorable consideration.
“In our field, the value of scholarly research cannot be overstated,” said Kirk Adams, president and CEO of AFB. “With the Corinne Kirchner Research Award, we seek to honor and acknowledge groundbreaking scholars, like Ms. Kirchner herself, whose work helps make a world of No Limits—a world where people who are blind or visually impaired are working, going to school and participating in community life, unhindered by barriers—a reality.”
For the purposes of bestowing this award during the AFB Leadership Conference (AFBLC) in Oakland, California, April 4-7, 2018, AFB invites nominations for this esteemed honor. Nominations are due by 11:59 p.m. EST on October 15, 2017. In addition to a completed online nomination form, two letters of recommendation should be emailed to Rebecca Burrichter, senior editor—JVIB, AFB Press, at JVIB@afb.net.
AFB established the Corinne Kirchner Research Award in 2007 in honor of its longtime staff member, Corinne Kirchner, Ph.D. Her tireless pursuit of excellence in research led AFB and the blindness field to a higher level of expectation concerning the investigation of demographic data, analysis of outcomes in program and service delivery, and scientific examination of socio-ecological trends in the population of people who are blind or have low vision. Dr. Kirchner’s groundbreaking research set the benchmark against which much of the subsequent research in the field has been compared.
Past recipients of the Corinne Kirchner Research Award include Dr. Kirchner herself (2007) and:
- John E. Crews, D.P.A. (2015)
- Jane N. Erin, Ph.D. (2014)
- Kay Ferrell, Ph.D. (2013)
- Duane R. Geruschat, Ph.D. (2012)
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About The American Foundation for the Blind
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is a national nonprofit that expands possibilities for people with vision loss. AFB's priorities include broadening access to technology; elevating the quality of information and tools for the professionals who serve people with vision loss; and promoting independent and healthy living for people with vision loss by providing them and their families with relevant and timely resources. Headquartered in New York, AFB is proud to house the Helen Keller Archives and honor the more than 40 years that Helen Keller worked tirelessly with AFB. Visit: www.afb.org
