The Mid-Career Research Fellowship scheme aims to support researchers who have completed their PhD within the last ten years (accounting for career interruptions), enabling them to continue progressing toward becoming internationally recognised leaders in the dementia research field. This scheme also provides a valuable opportunity for mid-career researchers to establish their own independent research programmes.
By the end of the Fellowship period, it is expected that the award recipient will be able to demonstrate a strong track record in dementia research. The applicant will be expected to produce outputs that improve their competitiveness for further grant or fellowship funding and position them to undertake further substantial research and begin translating findings into practice.
Topic and Scope
The Mid-Career Fellowships are open to Australian-based dementia researchers undertaking projects across all forms of dementia and in any topic area. Biomedical (lab-based), clinical, psychosocial, or knowledge translation research projects will all 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 mentor 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 mentor does not hold tenure, the application must include an Associate Investigator (AI) who holds a contract for the project duration and could provide mentorship if required.
The mentor will be responsible for providing the research facilities, overseeing the Fellow and their research programme, and actively contributing to their training and development.
In addition, the applicant must demonstrate appropriate research credentials and the strength of their proposal and mentorship 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 actively 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
Each Mid-Career Research Fellowship is two years in duration and includes a salary component of $151,000 per annum, which may be indexed annually in line with wage growth. The level of appointment and final salary is to be negotiated between the host institution and the recipient. The host institution will be required to cover any salary and on-cost expenses above the salary component of the award.
Fellowships are intended to be undertaken on a full-time basis, however, part-time arrangements (with pro-rata salary) may be considered under special circumstances.
The Fellowship also includes an $85,000 project grant, intended to cover research expenses.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for a Mid-Career Research Fellowship:
- 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 compliance with this requirement. The Dementia Australia Research Foundation may request further information. Applicants who hold a temporary work visa are not eligible to apply.
- The CI must have no more than 10 years post-PhD experience at the time of applying, adjusted for career interruptions – i.e. the PhD or equivalent (DPhil or M.D. by research) must have been awarded on or after 29 July 2015.
- The CI must hold a position at or below the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent, if not employed within the university system).
- The CI must not hold a fellowship funded by another organisation, unless they intend to relinquish the existing fellowship if successful.
- The CI must identify an experienced dementia researcher as a mentor, based at the same or a related institution (e.g. an affiliated hospital or research institute).
- The research must be conducted 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 is obtained.
Visit funding web page
(https://www.dementia.org.au/research/dementia-australia-research-foundation-grants/information-applicants)
