Originated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1975 as a unifying National Eye Institute (NEI) support mechanism for faculty who do vision research in Schools of Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Arts and Sciences etc. and Departments of Anesthesia, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Cell and Molecular Biology, Dental Medicine, Dermatology, Neuroscience, Ophthalmology, Pathology, Physiology, and Psychology.