About IIS at CooperVision
CooperVision is dedicated to raising the bar on product excellence and creating the next generation of contact lenses. To help achieve this, CooperVision maintains a strong commitment to help support ethical, relevant research by qualified investigators. Investigator Initiated Studies (IIS) are independent proposals from external research partners which may provide valuable scientific and clinical information on contact lens wear and associated topics, and these may include CooperVision products.
For such proposals of scientific merit or interest to the business, CooperVision may be able to provide support for these research projects, either through monetary funding and/or the provision of contact lenses.
Please note that CooperVision will not generally provide support for studies that involve investigational or pre-cleared medical devices, where the primary objective is to support product registration or regulatory needs.
Applying for support from CooperVision for IIS proposals
If there is an IIS research proposal to be considered by CooperVision to provide support, through monetary funding and/or contact lens products, an application form (IIS Application form) needs to be completed and emailed to iisapplications@coopervision.com.
A cross-functional team at CooperVision will review the proposal and determine whether the request can be supported. The review will include a determination whether the research proposal meets the applicable ethical, scientific, compliance and strategic criteria and regulatory agency requirements, among other things. This initial consideration stage could take several weeks and there may be a request for additional information.
A decision will be made by the Investigator Initiated Study Committee based on a range of factors including study design, scientific merit, business needs and funds being available, and the applicant will be notified by email. If the research proposal is approved, further information will be required, and CooperVision will draft an IIS agreement.
With IIS, the principal investigator designs and conducts the study, in addition to acting as the study sponsor, and so is responsible for complying with any regulatory requirements related to the study. They are responsible for reporting any safety data to the regulatory authorities, to the ethics committee and to CooperVision. The principal investigator also needs to meet any deadlines, provide updates in the study agreement, inform CooperVision of key study-related milestones and provide details of any planned submissions to scientific conferences or journals on completion of the study.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How long does the application take?
Once we have received your completed application, we aim to provide a decision as quickly as possible, but it could take several weeks. - What type of studies do you accept?
We welcome all IIS research study proposals you feel may be beneficial to scientific and clinical information on contact lens wear and associated topics. Please note that animal model proposal studies will not be considered. - Who can apply for support for an IIS?
Any researchers, academics or eye care professionals can apply. - Do I have to apply online?
You of course can reach out to peers within CooperVision with initial questions, however, you will be guided to this page to apply for support by submitting an IIS application form. - How long until I receive my funding or product(s) if the IIS has been approved?
Once we have a contractual agreement in place, the funding or product(s) are usually in place within 60 days of the agreement being finalised. We do not offer funding or products prior to any contractual agreements being signed. - What information do you need from me?
You will find within our application form a breakdown of the initial details needed for us to consider your proposal during the IISC meeting. The proposal should have as much detailed information as you can give, such as a draft protocol or clinical investigation plan, and we will contact you if we require any further details.
Please contact iisapplications@coopervision.com with any questions.