The Dementia Australia Research Foundation Travel Grant is designed to assist Australian dementia researchers to travel nationally or internationally in order to learn new techniques and/or build networks with established research teams. The scheme aims to strengthen and build research skills and promote networking, collaboration, communication, or dissemination of research findings through scientific events, meetings, or work experience. The proposed travel must clearly demonstrate benefit to dementia research.
The award supports researchers in the early to mid stages of their career, including:
- PhD students who have completed at least one year full-time equivalent of their PhD and passed their PhD confirmation
- Mid-career researchers who are up to 10 years post-PhD
Topic and Scope
Travel Grants are open to Australian-based dementia researchers working across all forms of dementia and in any topic area. Biomedical (lab-based), clinical, psychosocial, or knowledge translation research projects will all be considered.
Examples of eligible activities include, but are not limited to:
- Work experience at another institution to learn techniques, share ideas, and build collaborations
- Attendance at a masterclass, symposium, or skills-based workshop
- Participation in collaborative planning workshops ahead of funding calls
- Conference attendance, with an accepted oral or poster presentation, or as part of an organising committee
One or more of these activities may be included in a single application.
Award Funding
The grant is valued at up to $15,000. The study period may extend up to six months, depending on the purpose of travel. The applicant must undertake to return to a position in Australia after completing the travel period.
Funding may be used for:
- Conference registration fees
- Travel costs
- Reasonable accommodation expenses
Travel is to be undertaken during 2026, or by arrangement.
Required Documentation (where applicable)
Before grant payments can commence, the applicant must provide:
- Evidence of an accepted conference presentation abstract, either virtual or in-person
- A letter of support from the host institution or department, agreeing to host the visit (to be included at the time of application)
- Evidence of ethics approval, where applicable, for research conducted as part of the proposed travel
- Proof of PhD confirmation
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for a Travel Grant:
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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, a permanent resident of Australia, or hold an appropriate work visa. All applicants must provide evidence to their host institution to support this criterion. Host institutions are responsible for certifying and ensuring compliance. The Dementia Australia Research Foundation may request further information relating to these requirements.
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The CI must have completed at least one year full-time equivalent of their PhD and have passed PhD confirmation, and must have no more than 10 years post-PhD experience at the time of application, adjusted for career interruptions. That is, the PhD (or equivalent: DPhil or M.D. by research) must have been awarded on or after 29 July 2015. If applicable, evidence of PhD confirmation must be provided by March 2026.
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Research that is to be publicly presented must be approved by an authorised ethics committee, if applicable.
Additional Information and Conditions
Involving People with a Lived Experience of Dementia in Research
For all applications, the Chief Investigator (CI) must demonstrate that:
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People with a lived experience of dementia—including people living with dementia, their carers and families (including former carers), and, where applicable, the wider public—will be engaged meaningfully throughout the development and conduct of the research programme beyond a role as participants.
This involvement may be demonstrated in a variety of ways, including:
a. Consultation or involvement prior to submission of the research proposal, to ensure that:
- The research addresses an identified priority area for people living with dementia, their carers, and families
- Relevant parts of the proposal are clear to a non-academic audience
- The study design is feasible and relevant, where applicable
b. Inclusion as a co-investigator on the research proposal.
c. Invitation to co-present the research project and/or its outcomes at conferences or other events.
d. Membership of a Steering Committee or Advisory Group to provide guidance on some or all aspects of the project, or acting as a ‘research buddy’ to support the researcher.
e. Providing feedback on or helping develop participant information materials or other research documents.
f. Involvement in the interpretation and dissemination of research findings, including the development of plain language summaries.
Please note that people with a lived experience of dementia can be involved in a variety of meaningful ways across all types of research projects, including those focused on technology and lab-based studies.
For example, lab-based researchers may choose to:
- Discuss their research ideas with people impacted by dementia
- Invite them to review plain English summaries to ensure clarity and accessibility
While people with a lived experience of dementia are interested in learning about lab-based research, it is not expected that they take part in conducting experiments in the lab.
If you require assistance in identifying a person living with dementia, carer, or former carer to be involved in your project (referred to as a Dementia Advocate), you can contact Dementia Australia by:
- Completing the request form available on the Dementia Australia website, or
- Emailing advocates@dementia.org.au for further information
Costs associated with involving people with a lived or living experience of dementia in your project should be included in your project budget.
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) provides a general statement on Consumer and Community Involvement in health and medical research here.
Dementia-specific guides and resources include:
- Involving people impacted by dementia in research: a guide for researchers – Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration (DCRC)
- Becoming Involved in Research: A guide for People Living with Dementia, their Care Partners and Family Members – National Institute for Dementia Research (NNIDR)
- Guidelines and training resources developed as part of the Lived Experience Project – DCRC
Language and Terminology
Applicants must ensure that appropriate language and terminology are used throughout the application. This includes:
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Using dementia-friendly language
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Writing in plain English where applicable
For example, many people living with dementia prefer not to be referred to as a “dementia sufferer” or other negatively framed terms.
Visit funding web page
(https://www.dementia.org.au/research/dementia-australia-research-foundation-grants/information-applicants)
