ABB Optical Group has launched registration for its 11th Annual Optometry Student Challenge, which offers third- and fourth-year optometry students an opportunity to showcase their clinical skills and research for a chance to attend the 2026 Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS). The challenge includes a $1,500 travel grant and the opportunity to present at a national platform that is dedicated to specialty contact lenses.
Challenge Structure and Submission Deadlines
Students who are interested in participating must register by August 31, 2025, via abboptical.com/OptometryStudentChallenge. The competition requires participants to submit an abstract on a student-based case report or research study focused on contact lenses. Eligible topics include, but are not limited to:
- Contact lens applications for presbyopia or keratoconus
- Use of corneal topography
- Postpenetrating keratoplasty management
- Irregular corneal surfaces
- Myopia control
- Custom soft lenses
- Orthokeratology (ortho-k) and ocular surface measurements
- Contact lenses for sports and performance vision
Final abstracts are due by October 14, 2025. A panel of judges will evaluate all submissions, and 6 finalists will be notified by October 20, 2025.
Poster Presentations and Virtual Event
Selected finalists will convert their abstracts into poster PDF format, due by November 27, 2025. Each finalist will then present their work during a virtual poster session on December 11, 2025.
In a press release about the event, Dede Reyes, Manager of Consultation & Education for Specialty Contact Lenses at ABB, said, “Seeing optometry students find their clinical voice while tackling challenging cases goes beyond textbooks and classrooms. It builds the kind of confidence and problem-solving skills that will make them great eyecare providers someday.”
Suzanna Hui, a 2024 winner from the New England College of Optometry, added, “Even after GSLS, ABB is still here to support us. It was such a great networking opportunity, and I would definitely do it again if I could.”
All the 2024 winners shared their experiences on Dede Talks.