As the Lewy Body Society marks its 20th anniversary, we are proud to announce a major new £500,000 research funding call.
For two decades, the Lewy Body Society has campaigned for a better understanding of Lewy body dementia while funding vital research across the UK. This new funding call represents a significant milestone in our journey, and a clear statement of our ambition to drive progress in diagnosis, treatment, and care over the next 20 years.
Previous Lewy Body Society grants have supported studies into disease mechanisms, diagnosis, symptom management and lived experience. The new funding will continue this work, supporting high-quality research projects that have clear potential to improve outcomes for patients and families.
The call is open to researchers working across a range of relevant disciplines, reflecting the complex and multi-system nature of Lewy body dementia. We are particularly interested in research that improves early and accurate diagnosis, enhances symptom management, or deepens understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying Lewy body dementia. Applications that demonstrate strong patient and public involvement and a clear pathway to real-world impact are particularly welcomed.
Jacqui Cannon, chief executive of the Lewy Body Society, said: “Twenty years on from our founding, we are proud to be launching this £500,000 research funding call as part of our continued commitment to people living with Lewy body dementia. For too long this disease has been under-recognised and under-researched. By investing in high-quality research, we are working towards earlier diagnosis, better treatments and improved care for families now and in the future. We are only able to fund this vital research thanks to the generosity of supporters, fundraisers and donors.”
Researchers interested in applying can find full eligibility criteria here.
The Lewy body Society is the only UK charity that focuses solely on Lewy body dementia. As a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities, we run regular grant rounds for UK researchers to apply for funding. In 2024, we awarded our largest ever pot £600,000 to four studies into Lewy body.
We are here to help
We are the only charity dedicated solely to Lewy body dementia in the UK. Through our application and review process we aim to fund the highest quality research so that we can make a real difference to the lives of people with LBD.
The Lewy Body Society Grant Application 2026
We are pleased to announce that the call for applications for the Lewy Body Society 2026 grant round is now open.
We welcome applications for projects that will increase our understanding of Lewy body dementia as well as improving care for people living with this condition and their families and carers.
Opening date: Monday 16th February 2026
Deadline for applications: 10th April 2026 at 5pm
Decisions and start dates: Our intention is to communicate funding decisions by the end of October 2026.
What do we fund?
We are the only charity dedicated solely to Lewy body dementia in the UK. Through our application and review process and as a member of AMRC (Association of Medical Research Charities) we aim to fund the highest quality research so that we can make a real difference to the lives of people with Lewy Body Dementia.
The Lewy Body Society will consider any application that is relevant to dementia with Lewy bodies in this grant round.
For this call, the society has in the region of £500,000 in total to allocate and will aim to fund 2 – 5 projects.
Grants will be awarded for a maximum duration of 4 years.
We fund all types of research in dementia with Lewy bodies, including health and social care, clinical and biomedical research. In addition to project grants, we also fund PhD studentships & Postdoctoral Fellowships
Grants are tenable only at a UK host institution.
Principal applicants, or a co-applicant from the same institution as the principal applicant, should hold employment contracts that extend to the end of the project period.
If you would like more information, please email: info@lewybody.org
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1 – Can a student apply for grants?
A1 – Students cannot apply for grants. The lead applicant for a PhD Studentship should be the lead supervisor.
Q2 – Can Early Career Researchers (ECRs)be applicants/co-applicants for a grant?
A2 – Yes, we strongly encourage applications to include ECRs as co-applicants. Post-doctoral ECRs can also be lead applicants. Principal applicants or a co-applicant from the same institution as the principal applicant should hold employment contracts that extend at least to the end of the project completion date. We welcome co-applicants who have lived in experience.
Q3 – Is it necessary to include an intellectual property agreement at the application stage?
A3 – It is not necessary to include an intellectual property agreement with the application.
Q4 – What costs do The Lewy Body Society fund?
A4 – In keeping with other medical research charities we do not fund FEC (i.e. estate and indirect costs) and will only fund the direct costs of the research itself.
Q5 – Can CVs, references, costings, letter of support etc be attached as separate docs?
A5 – Ideally, we would prefer to receive one PDF application that includes all attachments. Where this is not possible, we will accept multiple PDF documents sent as one application, but these must be listed at the Appendix in order that we can check everything is provided for the grant to be fully reviewed.
Q6 – Can lead and co-applicant salaries be included in the grant costs?
A6 – Lead applicant salary can only be included for in Postdoctoral Fellowship applications.
Salary costs for ECR co-applicants on project grants may be included, provided the ECR is not currently on a tenured contract. No other applicant salaries will be funded.
Q7 – What is the latest proposed start date and project duration for which funding will be provided?
A7 – The proposed project start date must be prior to June 2027 and the maximum duration of the project will be 4 years from start date.
Q8 – Where should grant applications be sent?
A8 – Applications should be submitted electronically and in PDF format to info@lewybody.org and copied to admin@lewybody.org
Deadline for applications is 5pm, on Friday, 10 April, 2026. Funding decisions will be made by the end of October 2026.
Visit funding web page
(https://www.lewybody.org/research/apply-for-a-grant/)
