RPB is the world's leading voluntary organization supporting eye research. Since it was founded in 1960, RPB has channeled hundreds of millions of dollars to medical institutions for research into the causes, treatment and prevention of blinding eye diseases. In 2020, RPB is celebrating its 60th anniversary.

RPB provides funding to less than 50 Departments of Ophthalmology nationwide. We are currently one of only five RPB Unrestricted grant holders in the state and the only one in the SUNY system. In 1998, SUNY Upstate Medical University became part of the recognized few to receive funding from RPB. Since that time, we are grateful for the millions of dollars of support to the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences including the following awards:

• Challenge Grant to the Department of Ophthalmology
  - John Hoepner, MD Chair, 1998-2002
• Annual Unrestricted Grant 
  - John Hoepner. MD Chair 2002-2014
  - Robert Fechtner, MD Chair 2018-2025 (renewed in 2020)
• Senior Scientific Award to Robert B. Barlow, PhD (2004)
• Career Development Awards; awardees include:
• Eduardo C. Solessio, PhD (1999)
• Michael E. Zuber, PhD (2003)
• Andrea S. Viczian, PhD (2005)
• Peter D. Calvert, PhD (2007)
• Audrey Bernstein, PhD (2009) Received at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Reyna I. Martínez-De Luna, PhD (2018)
• Samuel Herberg, PhD (2019)
• Preethi Ganapathy MD PhD (2020)
• Stein Innovation Award
  - Peter Calvert, PhD (2020-2024)
    "Super resolution single molecule microscopy in living retina"

For information on RPB, RPB-funded research, eye disorders and the RPB Grants Program, go to www.rpbusa.org.