Nystagmus Network Announces Launch of 2026 Richard Wilson Essay Prize
London, UK – The Nystagmus Network, a leading charity dedicated to supporting individuals with nystagmus, is excited to announce the launch of the 2026 Richard Wilson Essay Prize. Now in its third year, the competition aims to encourage and inspire budding researchers and students to explore the condition of nystagmus.
The essay prize is named in honor of Richard Wilson OBE, who served as Chair of Trustees for the Nystagmus Network from 2010 to 2019. During his tenure, he was instrumental in introducing the first Nystagmus Awareness Day, increasing the charity’s investment in nystagmus research, establishing an annual UK nystagmus research workshop, and hosting the charity’s first-ever clinical training event. In recognition of his contributions, Wilson received an OBE from Her Majesty the Queen in the New Year’s Honours of 2018. Sadly, he passed away in 2023, but his legacy continues to be fondly remembered by all those who knew him.
The competition is open to students of all levels, from undergraduate to post-doctorate, who are currently studying or working at UK institutions in the fields of Ophthalmology, Optometry, Orthoptics, or a visual-related science. The first prize winner will receive £500 and the opportunity to speak at the Nystagmus Network International Nystagmus Symposium 2026. The second and third prize winners will receive £200 and £100, respectively.
The 2026 panel of judges includes Dr Onyeka Amiebenomo, Senior Lecturer in Optometry at the University of the West of England Bristol, and Mr Daniel Osborne, Research Orthoptist and NIHR Pre-Doctoral Fellow at University Hospital Southampton NHS FT. They will be supported in their decision-making by Nystagmus Network trustees.
The essay question for 2026 is “How could AI change the way that nystagmus is diagnosed and treated?” Entries will be judged based on their understanding of current clinical practice for nystagmus in the UK, identification of key areas for development that AI could support, and how AI-assisted research can expand clinical knowledge of nystagmus. The essays must be a maximum of 3000 words, excluding any diagrams, graphs, references, or bibliography.
The application process opens in December 2025, with a submission deadline of 30 June 2026. Completed essays should be emailed to research@nystagmusnet.org with the subject line “Richard Wilson Essay Prize.” Entries must include the full name of the candidate, the UK institution where they are registered, their current level of study, and their highest academic qualification to date.
For more information and assets, please visit the Nystagmus Network’s website at www.nystagmusnetwork.org or contact Sue Ricketts, Nystagmus Network, at sue.ricketts@nystagmusnet.org or 01427 718093. Nystagmus Network can also be found on Facebook as NystagmusNetwork, on Twitter as NystagmusUK, on Instagram as nystagmusnetwork, and on Linkedin as nystagmus-network.
Nystagmus is a serious, lifelong, incurable form of visual impairment that affects focus, depth perception, and facial recognition due to uncontrollable eye movements. It is estimated that at least 1 in 1,000 babies are born with nystagmus, and many others acquire the condition later in life. Support is crucial for individuals with nystagmus, especially in the early years, at school, in employment, and in daily life.
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