Scholarship Overview

• The ICO Three-Month Fellowships help promising young ophthalmologists from low-resources countries to enhance their practical skills and broaden their perspectives of ophthalmology. 
• Fellows are expected to bring the acquired knowledge and skills back to their home countries and take part in programs to preserve eye health and prevent vision impairment. 

Applicable course, university and country

This scholarship is applicable for Masters Degree

This scholarship is applicable for all universities in India, UK, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand +234 more

• The ICO Three-Month Fellowship is offered in the following subspecialties:
  • General Ophthalmology
  • Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
  • Uveitis
  • Glaucoma
  • Cornea & External Diseases (no Refractive Surgery)
  • Medical Retina
  • Vitreo-Retinal Surgery
  • Oculoplastics
  • Cataract Surgery
  • Ocular Oncology
  • Neuro-Ophthalmology
  • Ocular Pathology
  • Community Eye Health
  • Trauma

Scholarship amount details

Max scholarship per student: USD 6,000 => Rs 5,72,401

Conversion rate used: 1 USD = Rs. 96.57 (last updated 28th July 2026)

Scholarship amount will be given: One Time

Scholarship amount can be used for

Type of Expense	Indicates if scholarship can be used for this type of expense
Tuition & Fees	×Not covered in scholarship
Living Expense	✔Scholarship amount can be used for this
Accommodation	×Not covered in scholarship
Air Fare/Travel Expenses	✔Scholarship amount can be used for this
Spouse/Child Care	×Not covered in scholarship
Health Cover	×Not covered in scholarship
Application	×Not covered in scholarship
Others	×Not covered in scholarship

• Award: US$ 6,000 to help cover living expenses and return travel

Student Awards

Number of students to be awarded: Varies

Scholarship Eligibility

Special Restrictions

• No Special Restriction applicable

Exams Details

Exam name	Indicates if exam is required and cutoff (if any)
UG	Required

Eligibility

• Residency training must be completed before applying for the fellowship.
• Specialist exam in ophthalmology must be successfully passed.
• Applicants are not allowed to apply for fellowships in their home country
• Applicants are permanently based and work in one of the eligible countries
• Applicants must return to home country after the training, resume previous positions, and apply the knowledge gained during the fellowship.
• Applicants must be reasonably fluent in the language of the fellowship training center.

Application Process for this scholarship

Application Documents

Type of documents	Indicates if this type of document is required to be submitted
LOR	Required
Official transcripts	Required

• Scanned copy of the photo page of your Passport.
• Scanned copy of your Ophthalmology Specialization Examination Certificate certifying a successful completion of your residency in ophthalmology. If the certificate is not issued in English, please include a certified translation into English to the original certificate and upload this into your online application file together with the original version as one document.
• Department of Ophthalmology Chair’s Recommendation 
• Reference letter (of your current or former supervisor or tutor in ophthalmology)
• English translation is required for all certificates 

Scholarship Application

This scholarship needs a separate external application.

Important Dates

	Date	Additional Details
Application final end date	September 30, 2026	For applications submitted by the 31 March deadline, the fellowships are awarded and notices are sent out by May, with the exception of the ICO-World Glaucoma Association Fellowship which have an early notification date. For applications submitted by the 30 September deadline, the fellowships are awarded and notices sent out in January.

Please note that these dates could be in local country times and may not be IST (Indian standard time).

FAQ Link	https://icoph.org/ico-fellowship/ico-fellowships-frequently-asked-questions/
Contact email	icofellowship@icoph.org