Every optometry student deserves the instruments to see clearly what they’re trained to find.
Equipping the Future is OPTOGLOBE’s program to close the diagnostic instrument gap for optometry students across low- and middle-income countries — one grant application at a time.
The gap, measured.
358 optometry students across 13 countries told us what training without instruments actually looks like. Read down the chart the way you’d read an acuity line — it gets harder to look away from as it gets smaller.
ETF Global Needs Assessment, OPTOGLOBE — live tracker at optoglobe.org/etf-live-tracker
Two steps. The first one comes first.
Completing the Global Needs Assessment is a prerequisite for the instrument grant application. If you’ve already filled it out, skip straight to Step 2.
Complete the Needs Assessment
A short survey on your current access to diagnostic instruments. Your answers shape which instruments get prioritized — and confirm your eligibility for a grant.
Fill the Needs AssessmentApply for an Instrument Grant
Once you’ve completed the Needs Assessment, submit your grant application with your enrollment details and the instrument you need most.
Start Your ApplicationOne application. One purpose.
Equipping the Future runs a single, general instrument-grant application. There is no separate track by instrument type or region — every eligible optometry student applies through the same process, and every application is assessed against the same standard: demonstrated need and readiness to put an instrument to clinical use.
The program is built directly from the Global Needs Assessment data above. Priority instruments reflect what students told us they lack most, starting with the retinoscope, direct ophthalmoscope, and trial lens set.
Grants are awarded on a rolling review basis as funding allows, coordinated by the ETF Core Committee.
Who can apply
- Currently enrolled in an accredited optometry program
- Studying at an institution in a low- or middle-income country
- Has completed the Global Needs Assessment survey
- Demonstrated lack of personal or institutional access to core diagnostic instruments
- Able to confirm clinical or externship use for the requested instrument
Need something to bring to your dean or HOD?
Many applicants need to show their faculty what they’re applying for, and to ask for a reference letter confirming their enrollment. We’ve put together a short package that explains ETF, its findings, and exactly what that reference letter needs to say — ready to hand to whoever needs it.
ETF Institutional Support Package
The program’s background, needs-assessment findings, application process, photos from our engagements with WHO, WCO, and IAPB, and a one-page reference letter guide.
Download the PackageTimeline
If you’ve felt this gap firsthand, we’d like to hear from you.
Start with the Needs Assessment if you haven’t completed it — it’s required before your grant application can be reviewed.
