College of Optometry Vision Performance Institute

Providing the academic link between corporation and consumer.

 

The Mission:

 

The Vision Performance Institute (VPI) is an organization within the Pacific University College of Optometry that is dedicated to research and clinical care in vision performance.  The mission of VPI is to perform vision research, develop vision-related product, and provide specialized eye care.  VPI is the primary research arm of the Pacific University College of Optometry.

Mechanisms for both private and public research are provided within VPI, the association with Pacific University maintains academic integrity.  These unique features make the institute an attractive venue for ophthalmic companies along with consumer product companies interested in vision performance. 

 

The core expertise of the Vision Performance Institute is the ability to improve vision performance, safety and comfort.

 

Services offered by the Vision Performance Institute

Product development and testing

Advanced consumer (patient) testing and care

Examples:

Published research

Brand and product support

Education and professional relations

 

Credibility and product support

 

 

Faculty participation in the Vision Performance Institute
 

The VPI is the primary research arm of the Pacific University College of Optometry.  All sponsored research performed by faculty of the college of optometry is performed through the VPI. 

Faculty expertise is the greatest resource of the VPI, in fact it is the raison d'être for the VPI.  Faculty time and energy is critical in order to meet many of the functions of VPI.  The academic mission of Pacific University and hence of faculty status includes teaching and research – it does not involve consulting, product development, performing private research, examining non-teaching patients, nor corporate professional development activities.  For these latter activities, faculty serve as research scientists of VPI and they can be performed as part of the 20% release time that faculty members are allowed for professional development or during time that is purchased from the College of Optometry by the VPI, as further explained below.

Although all qualified research by faculty of the College of Optometry occurs through the VPI, and it is anticipated that most consulting and private research will also be managed through the VPI, faculty from other colleges of Pacific University may participate through the VPI as appropriate to the project and mission of VPI.

Public research is the highest priority function of the VPI.  The principal investigator (PI) of a public research project must be a faculty member serving in that role.  When performing public research, the PI and all other listed faculty members on the project serve as faculty of Pacific University.  As appropriate and agreed with the Dean of the College, VPI will purchase from the College the amount of burdened time the faculty member spends on the project.  This cost will be passed along to the sponsor along with appropriate indirect costs.

Possibly the most unique aspect of the VPI is the ability to provide both private and public research and services to client companies.  This dual function sets up risk for conflict of interest. There is potential for conflict of interest if a faculty member serves as both consultant and PI for projects by the same company.  Such potential conflicts of interest will be managed within the VPI.  A faculty member providing consulting services through the VPI for a company may not concurrently serve as a PI on a public research project sponsored by that same company – however, they may be part of the research team on the project and charge their time as a faculty member against the project.  In such cases, however, the details of the project including its design and implementation will be reviewed by the Ethics Committee of the VPI.  This committee is charged with an oversight role to insure the scientific integrity of the experimental design, data acquisition, and data analysis of all public research projects.  The committee will be charged to identify potential conflict of interest issues and to insure that they are managed to insure scientific integrity.  In public presentations and publications of the results, potential conflicts of interest will be disclosed along with a statement regarding the oversight of the Ethic Committee.

For all VPI activities that are neither teaching nor public research, faculty members serve as research scientists within VPI – and not in their role as a faculty member at Pacific University.  The activities for which faculty will serve as research scientists include consulting, product development, performing private research, examining non-teaching patients, and corporate professional development activities among others. Faculty members at Pacific University are allowed 20% time (generally 10 hours/week) for professional development.  Faculty may use this time to serve as research scientists at VPI.  VPI may also purchase faculty time (to serve as a research scientist) from the College as approved by the Dean of the College. 

All sponsored projects performed by College of Optometry faculty, whether private or public, that utilize VPI or Pacific University facilities or equipment must be entirely managed and funded through the VPI.  Pacific University faculty may not serve on any VPI projects for a company if they have private consulting arrangements or have other significant financial interests with that same company, a direct competitor of that company, or a company that owns or is owned by the funding company.

 

 

Current Sponsors

Nike
       Nike

Microsoft
       Microsoft
Synergeyes

SynergEyes® - hybrid contact lenses


Ciba Vision
      
                  CIBA Vision Logo

NeuroCom


Zeiss Meditec

Carl Zeiss