The purpose of the Dementia Australia Research Foundation Clinical Post-graduate Scholarship scheme is to build capacity in the dementia field by supporting a health professional to undertake a PhD and embark on a career in dementia research. It is expected that the award recipient will continue to make research an integral part of their professional career and produce outputs that enhance their competitiveness for future grant and scholarship funding in the field.
Topic and Scope
The Clinical Practice Post-graduate Stipend is open to Australian-based health professionals who are either currently undertaking or proposing to undertake a part-time or full-time PhD in any form of dementia and in any topic area. Biomedical (lab-based), clinical, psychosocial, or knowledge translation research projects will be considered.
Topics may include, but are not limited to:
- Gaining a better understanding of the causes of dementia
- Developing strategies to reduce dementia risk and slow the progression of the disease
- Providing accurate and timely diagnoses
- Testing potential new treatments for specific sub-types of dementia
- Improving treatment and care options for people living with dementia
- Increasing the awareness and understanding of rights, needs and experiences of people living with dementia, their carers and families
- Finding a cure for dementia
Project Team
The applicant will need to secure a supervisor at the host or a related institution who is expected to hold a contract (fixed-term or tenure) for the duration of the project. If the supervisor does not hold tenure, the application must include a co-supervisor at the host institution who does.
The supervisor will:
- Provide the facilities required for the research
- Have oversight of the applicant and their research programme
- Contribute actively to the training of the applicant
The applicant must have a clinical background and demonstrate the appropriate strength in both their proposal and supervisory team. Applications are encouraged from multi-disciplinary teams, including health professionals, statisticians, health economists, public health researchers, and policy makers.
It is highly recommended that people living with dementia, their carers, and families are involved in the project from initiation through to completion.
When assembling your team, please ensure that you have done so in line with the relevant eligibility criteria.
Award Funding
The Clinical Practice Post-graduate Stipend is valued at $30,000 and may be used over a period of 1 to 2 years. The funds may be used to cover or backfill the applicant’s salary and/or support associated research activities. This stipend can be held in conjunction with another scholarship.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for a Clinical Practice Post-graduate Stipend:
- At the time of application, acceptance and for the duration of the grant, the Applicant (Chief Investigator or CI) must be an Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen living in Australia, or a permanent resident of Australia. All applicants must provide evidence to their host institution to support this criterion. Host institutions are responsible for certifying and ensuring that these requirements are met. The Dementia Australia Research Foundation may request further information. Applicants who hold a temporary work visa are not eligible to apply.
- The CI must be a health professional (e.g. medicine, nursing, pharmacy, occupational therapy, dentistry, physiotherapy) prior to the commencement of the award.
- The applicant must be enrolled in a research PhD (part-time or full-time) at an Australian university, or demonstrate that they have made arrangements to undertake a research PhD at an Australian university alongside their clinical work.
- The applicant must have the endorsement of a qualified supervisor and the support of an Australian university to carry out the proposed project.
- The research must be conducted primarily in Australia and address the topic and scope of the funding round.
- The research must be approved by an authorised ethics committee, if applicable. Please note that grant payments may be withheld until ethics approval has been obtained.
Visit funding web page
(https://www.dementia.org.au/research/dementia-australia-research-foundation-grants/information-applicants)
