The title of ARVO Fellow is an honor established to recognize current ARVO members for their individual accomplishments, leadership and contributions to the Association.
ARVO Fellows serve as role models and mentors for individuals pursuing careers in vision and ophthalmology research and help further ARVO's vision "…to advance research worldwide into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders," which includes advancing basic and clinical knowledge and serving as the leading international forum for vision research and the primary advocate for vision science worldwide.
Gold and Silver ARVO Fellows who are retired from employment and are no longer engaged in regular research, academic or other scientific activities, are eligible for Emeritus membership. Membership dues are waived for Emeritus members and Fellows may request a status change in writing to arvo@arvo.org. Emeritus members are ineligible from voting or holding elected office, abstract submissions to ARVO meetings, and manuscript submissions to the ARVO Journals.
Eligibility for the Fellow designation is determined by a point system established by the ARVO Board (revised October 2009), under which members are awarded points for participation in the activities listed below. Eligible years have been determined based upon available records. The maximum point levels have been set to require multiple areas of participation to become an ARVO Fellow.
| Activity | Max Points per year |
Max Points | Eligible years |
| Membership |
1 | 20 | 1980-present |
| Annual Meeting participation (first or co-author; Invited Speaker or Moderator*) *Moderator participation will only be counted from 2018-present |
1 | 20 |
1997-present |
| SIG Organizer/Speaker/Panelist Prior to 2024, SIG participation is counted within the Annual Meeting participation category |
1 | 20 |
2024-present |
| Education Course participation (Invited Speaker/Panelist/Moderator) |
no max | 20 |
2018-present |
|
ARVO Conferences participation (including ARVO Imaging in the Eye Conference) (first or co-author; Invited Speaker/Panelist/Moderator) |
1 | 20 |
2018-present |
| Committee service (standing ARVO committees, standing ARVO Foundation committes, working groups) | No maximum | 15 | 1986-present (AMPC from 1972) |
| Editorial board service (ARVO journals) |
1 | 10 | 1980-present |
| ARVO Board of Trustees |
1 | 10 | All years |
| ARVO Foundation Board of Governors |
1 | 10 | All years |
| ARVO journal reviewer (minimum two reviews/year) |
1 | 15 | 1999-present |
| Program organizer (meeting, conference, course, eModule) |
No maximum | 10 | 1996-present |
| ARVO Foundation Developing Country Eye Researcher Travel Fellowship Mentors |
1 | 10 | 2008-present |
| Global Mentorship Program (mentors only) (1 point per cohort) |
2 |
10 | 2016-present |
| Leadership Development Program (mentors only) |
1 | 10 | 2016-present |
|
Member engagement
*Survey responses are no longer eligible for a Fellows point. |
No maximum | 10 | 2018-present |
|
Science Communications
|
2 | 10 | 2017-present |
There are two levels of ARVO Fellows:
Silver - minimum 50 points
Gold - minimum 60 points
ARVO staff will update the records annually following the Annual Meeting, and inform those who meet the Silver or Gold Fellow Award level requirements that have been approved by the Board by the end of the year.
Each year's class of ARVO Fellows will be inducted at the ARVO Annual Meeting the following spring.
Induction includes:
- Recognition at the Annual Meeting Keynote session and within the convention center
- A Fellow's Medal, lapel pin, certificate and ribbon for your badge.
- The right to use the special designation FARVO (Fellow of ARVO)
- Recognition in ARVO publications and press releases
Please contact awards@arvo.org for further information.