Researchers at the University of Michigan have received 11 million dollars to help look into eye treatments to fight blindness.

The large gift comes from James Grosfeld, the former Chairman and CEO of PulteGroup. M-Live reports that it will assist research at the U of M Kellogg Eye Center to help develop effective treatments of age-related macular degeneration. That’s believed to be a leading factor of irreversible blindness.

A pilot program is using experiments and research grants for new ideas in research, with help from other partnerships, to speed up and enlarge the work being done to help fight the problem.