Eye research has often blazed a trail for other disciplines to follow, giving a lead in neuroscience, genetics, the development of gene- and stem-cell therapies and other important areas of medical research. In recent years, geneticists have made many remarkable discoveries of relevance both to normal human vision and the development of inherited retinal pathology. However the genes and mutations identified account for only a proportion of cases of inherited retinal degeneration, and recent discoveries hint at new classes of mutations which are either largely undetected or the significance of which is missed by conventional genetics. In addition, for those genes implicated there often remains a black box between mutations and disease; how do defects in a given protein manifest symptoms in the eye and what underlies the huge variation in symptoms, severity and response to treatment? The objectives of EyeTN are twofold; to address these knowledge gaps through cutting edge research using novel techniques, including transcriptomics analyses, whole genome and single target RNAi, the development of animal and cell-based disease models, stem cell biology, bioinformatics and hands on experience of pharmaceutical research with direct translational targets; and to give the next generation of European ophthalmic researchers unparalleled opportunities to train with a consortium of the best inherited blindness research labs in the world. The Network spans academic, healthcare and commercial research sectors and is already well established with many existing collaborations. All fellows will carry out one or more components of their research and training in a commercial environment and attend a workshop on translating ideas and discoveries into commercially viable Bioscience produces and therapies, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and ensuring that we train a pool of researchers who are able to communicate effectively with both academic and commercial bioscience colleagues.