Dementia Research Funding

Grants, fellowships and studentships — mostly UK, some international

Open dementia research funding calls, grants and fellowships — with deadlines, eligibility and direct links to apply.

We list opportunities across dementia and neurodegeneration research: doctoral studentships, early career and senior fellowships, project and programme grants, pump-priming and pilot awards, travel and networking funds. The bulk of what we carry comes from UK research councils and national charities, but we include international calls where they’re open to researchers outside the funder’s own country.

Each listing gives a summary, the closing date, who can apply, and a link straight through to the funder’s own page. Use the filters to narrow by funder, career stage or deadline.

  • Looking for a post, not a grant? Funded PhD and fellowship positions are on our jobs board.
  • Based outside the UK? We can’t claim to cover everything worldwide — Alz Forum carries a wider range of international calls.

Want to hear first? Join our community and download the app to get a push notification the moment a new call is added.

Are you a funder? Add your call to these listings yourself via our advertise page. No account needed.

  • Chevening Scholarships

    Apply for a fully funded Chevening Scholarship to study a one-year master’s in the UK. Open to emerging global leaders. Deadline: 6 October 2026.

    06/10/2026   |   Chevening Awards
  • Master’s Funding – Alzheimer Scotland Student Research Programme

    Up to £35,000 is available for a one-year Master’s dementia research studentship in Scotland, focused on underserved communities. Apply by 5 October.

    05/10/2026   |   Alzheimer Scotland
  • Career Development Fellowship

    Black heritage early career researchers: apply for up to £703,800 through the Royal Society’s four-year Career Development Fellowship in STEM.

    18/11/2026   |   Alzheimer's SocietyThe Royal Society
  • INSIGHT Competition

    NIHR INSIGHT funding is open to institutions in Wales and three English regions to deliver engagement activities and research master’s studentships.

    08/10/2026   |   National Institute for Health and Care Research
  • Public Health Research Funding Call (researcher-led)

    Apply for Public Health Research Funding Call to evaluate real-world, non-NHS interventions addressing health inequalities across the UK.

    08/12/2026   |   National Institute for Health and Care Research
  • HSDR researcher-led Grant Funding

    Apply for NIHR HSDR funding for high-quality research addressing NHS and social care priorities and the needs of service managers and leaders.

    19/11/2026   |   National Institute for Health and Care Research
  • NIHR Senior Research Leader (SRL) Programme

    NIHR’s Senior Research Leader Programme funds health and care professionals to strengthen research leadership, capacity and collaboration.

    07/10/2026   |   National Institute for Health and Care Research
  • FENS/IBRO-PERC Exchange Fellowships

    FENS/IBRO Fundingfor laboratory visits for Master’s and PhD students and early-career postdocs in Europe to broaden their methodological training.

    15/10/2026   |   International Brain Research Organization
  • NHS Innovation Accelerator Fellowship

    NHS Innovation Accelerator Fellowship: mentoring, scaling support and a peer network for innovators with a proven NHS solution. Apply by 27 September 2026.

    27/09/2026   |   NHS England
  • The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships

    The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship is a 3 year award made to an annual cohort of early-career researchers in the humanities or social sciences.

    30/09/2026   |   The British Academy
  • Horizon Europe – Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society

    UK researchers: lead / join a Horizon Europe consortium improving socio-economic outcomes for people with dementia and informal carers.

    04/05/2027   |   European Research Council
  • Development and Skills Enhancement (DSE) Award

    NIHR DSE Awards fund up to two years of salary, training, conferences and mentoring to help postdoctoral researchers compete for future NIHR funding.

    04/11/2026   |   National Institute for Health and Care Research
  • Definitive social care evaluations

    NIHR funding for definitive trials evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of social care interventions for adults, children, families and carers.

    18/11/2026   |   National Institute for Health and Care Research
  • Faecal Incontinence Research Funding Call

    NIHR funding for research evaluating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of interventions to improve outcomes for adults with faecal incontinence.

    06/01/2027   |   National Institute for Health and Care Research
  • Doctoral focal award plus: innovating in data-driven research

    ESRC will invest up to £5.85m in a doctoral training award to build data-driven research skills among social scientists across all career stages.

    14/10/2026   |   Economic and Social Research Council
  • MRC Impact Acceleration Awards

    MRC Impact Acceleration Awards offer £50,000–£300,000 for single-step projects to de-risk development of medicines, devices, diagnostics and interventions.

    11/11/2026   |   Medical Research Council
  • Research Equipment Grant for Biomedical Research

    UKRI MRC Research Equipment Grant offers £200,000–£1m for mid-range capital equipment to strengthen biomedical research capability at eligible UK organisations.

    05/11/2026   |   Medical Research Council
  • EPSRC New Investigator Award

    Apply for an EPSRC New Investigator Award to develop your research vision, establish a research group and build independence and leadership.

    31/12/2026   |   UK Research and Innovation
  • Knowledge Frontiers Symposium 2027

    Early career researchers in the UK and Germany: join a funded symposium exploring how humans and nature can shape a more resilient future. Apply by 16 September.

    16/09/2026   |   The British Academy
  • Clinical Academic Fellowship

    Clinical Academic Fellowships offer NHS Scotland professionals the chance to undertake a PhD. Applications close midday, Thursday 1 October.

    01/10/2026   |   Chief Scientist Office (Scotland)
  • The Max Weber Programme

    Apply for a 1- or 2-year Max Weber postdoctoral fellowship at the EUI, with a €2,500 monthly grant, research funding and career support.

    16/10/2026   |   European University Institute
  • Atlantic Fellowship for Equity in Brain Health (San Francisco)

    Applications are open for the 2027–28 Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health at UCSF. Join a global hybrid fellowship. Apply by 2 November.

    02/11/2026   |   Global Brain Health Institute
  • Atlantic Fellowship for Equity in Brain Health (Dublin)

    Apply for the Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health and join a global community advancing brain health and equity. Closes 18 September 2026.

    18/09/2026   |   Global Brain Health Institute
  • Using ‘big data’ to impact health and health inequalities

    NIHR funding is available for research into how big data and data linkage in local or regional government affect health and health inequalities.

    08/12/2026   |   National Institute for Health and Care Research
  • Postdoctoral Fellowships

    The British Academy Postdoc Fellowship is a 3 year award made to an annual cohort of outstanding early-career researchers in the humanities or social sciences

    30/09/2026   |   The British Academy
  • AI Innovation Fellowship

    Up to £500k for AI and machine learning RAD X UKDRI fellowships supporting pioneering dementia research, global collaboration and emerging research leaders.

    21/10/2026   |   Race Against DementiaUK Dementia Research Institute
  • Improving indoor & outdoor spaces for people living with dementia

    The BRIDGES for Dementia Network+ is now accepting applications for small, early-stage projects focused on improving indoor and outdoor spaces for people living with dementia

    02/10/2026   |   Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
  • ARUK Clinical Research Award

    ARUK’s Clinical Research Award funds ambitious experimental medicine studies, early-phase trials and trial sub-studies to advance dementia therapies.

    31/12/2026   |   Alzheimer's Research UK
  • ARUK Doctoral Clinical Fellowships

    Alzheimer’s Research UK Doctoral Clinical Fellowships offer up to £400,000 to help UK clinicians gain a PhD and build careers in dementia research.

    15/10/2026   |   Alzheimer's Research UK
  • ARUK Advanced Clinical Fellowship

    Alzheimer’s Research UK Advanced Clinical Fellowships support UK clinicians combining dementia research and practice, with up to 50% protected research time.

    15/10/2026   |   Alzheimer's Research UK
  • ARUK Project Award

    Alzheimer’s Research UK Project Awards offer up to £500,000 over four years for ambitious, hypothesis-driven dementia research with clear outcomes.

    21/10/2026   |   Alzheimer's Research UK
  • ARUK Programme Award

    Alzheimer’s Research UK Programme Awards offer up to £1.5m over five years for ambitious, integrated programmes tackling major challenges in dementia.

    28/10/2026   |   Alzheimer's Research UK
  • ARUK Research Pilot Award

    Alzheimer’s Research UK Pilot Awards offer up to £100,000 for bold, early-stage dementia research ideas, new collaborations and multidisciplinary work.

    28/10/2026   |   Alzheimer's Research UK
  • Race Against Dementia Ignition Fund

    Up to £100,000 is available through the Race Against Dementia Ignition Fund for UK researchers pursuing bold ideas from unexpected findings.

    11/09/2026   |   Race Against Dementia
  • Clinical Research Training Fellowship

    Neurology trainees can apply for up to three years of fully funded PhD support through the ABN Clinical Research Training Fellowship. Closes 20 September.

    20/09/2026   |   Association of British Neurologists
  • Doctoral focal award plus: innovating in data-driven research

    UKRI ESRC will invest up to £5.85m in a doctoral focal award plus to build data-driven research skills across social science career stages.

    14/10/2026   |   UK Research and Innovation
  • MRC Proof of Concept: Stage two

    Invited applicants can seek MRC Proof of Concept stage two funding to develop therapeutics, devices, diagnostics and interventions up to phase 2a.

    04/11/2026   |   UK Research and Innovation
  • MRC Proof of Concept: Stage one

    Apply for MRC Proof of Concept funding to develop and test therapeutics, devices, diagnostics and interventions, from prototype to phase 2a.

    18/11/2026   |   UK Research and Innovation
  • NIHR Health & Social Care Delivery Research – Researcher Led

    NIHR HSDR Programme seeks high-quality research to support NHS and social care leaders. Submit your outline application for this 2-stage call.

    16/09/2026   |   National Institute for Health and Care Research
  • NIHR Senior Investigators

    Apply for the NIHR Senior Investigator award: £15k a year for 4 years to lead, mentor and shape applied health and social care research.

    14/09/2026   |   National Institute for Health and Care Research
  • ADDF Dementia Prevention

    ADDF Prevention RFP funds human studies testing precision prevention, combination therapies and comparative research to reduce dementia risk.

    14/09/2026   |   Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
  • ADDF Neuroimaging and CSF Biomarker Program

    ADDF Biomarkers RFP supports PET, CSF, MRI and EEG biomarker work for Alzheimer’s and related dementias, with clear clinical need.

    14/09/2026   |   Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
  • MRFF – 2026 International Clinical Trial Collaborations

    MRFF International Clinical Trial Collaborations fund Australian sites in global trials, helping patients access evidence based treatments.

    16/09/2026   |   National Health and Medical Research Council
  • Health Technology Assessment Application Development Awards

    NIHR HTA Application Development Awards fund work to shape future HTA applications on health and social care interventions.

    25/11/2026   |   National Institute for Health and Care Research
  • UKRI policy fellowships 2026

    UKRI Policy Fellowships offer 18 month placements linking research and policy, with up to 50 roles across government and What Works hosts.

    10/09/2026   |   UK Research and Innovation
  • SHAPE Involve and Engage

    British Academy SHAPE Involve and Engage awards offer up to £8,000 for UK researchers to create public engagement projects with GLAM or arts partners.

    15/09/2026   |   British Academy
  • Clinical Trials Fellowship

    UKDTN Clinical Trial fellowships support dementia trial delivery by building skills, career pathways and a stronger specialist workforce.

    31/10/2026   |   UK Dementia Trials Network
  • Academy Member Event Fund

    The NIHR Academy Member Event Fund provides support to plan and hold events that promote NIHR Academy programmes and strategic priorities. 

    31/12/2026   |   National Institute for Health and Care Research
  • Experimental medicine

    MRC experimental medicine grants: fund mechanistic studies with an experimental intervention or challenge in humans. No funding cap. Round closes October

    07/10/2027   |   Medical Research Council
  • BBSRC new investigator award

    Funding to support excellent new investigator-led research across the breadth of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council scientific remit

    31/05/2027   |   Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
  • BBSRC standard research grant

    BBSRC standard research grants: up to £2m FEC over 5 years for investigator-led bioscience at eligible UK research organisations. BBSRC funds 80% of costs.

    31/05/2027   |   Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
  • Wellcome Discovery Awards

    Wellcome Discovery Awards fund established researchers and teams to pursue bold ideas that advance health and wellbeing research.

    22/09/2026   |   Wellcome Trust
  • Accelerating Translation in Non-Alzheimer’s dementia

    New research initiative to unlock progress in late-stage clinical studies to advance treatments in Lewy body, frontotemporal and vascular dementia.

    09/09/2026   |   Alzheimer's Society
  • Horizon Europe Proof of Concept Grants

    ERC Proof of Concept Grants offer €150,000 over 18 months for ERC funded PIs to explore commercial or social innovation from their research.

    17/09/2026   |   European Research Council
  • ISTAART Grant Program for Conferences and Convenings

    ISTAART offers grants for PIA led conferences workshops and events that encourage collaboration mentoring and new ideas in dementia research worldwide

    31/12/2026   |   Alzheimer's Association (US)
  • Industry Partnership Development Bursary

    UK Human Functional Genomics Initiative launches a bursary to help researchers build academia industry partnerships in functional genomics. Apply now.

    31/12/2026   |   UK Human Functional Genomics Initiative
  • PhD by Publication funding

    Vivensa Foundation funding supports PhD by Publication routes for UK ageing researchers with existing peer reviewed work covering fees and submission costs UK.

    31/12/2026   |   Vivensa Foundation Academy
  • Public Health Research Programme Rapid Funding Scheme

    NIHR PHR Rapid Funding Scheme supports small time sensitive public health studies to enable rapid baseline data and feasibility work ahead of full evaluations.

    16/12/2026   |   National Institute for Health and Care Research
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