Grants
Clinical Research Award
Grant amount:
Flexible, depending on proposal
Grant duration:
Flexible, depending on proposal
The Alzheimer’s Research UK Clinical Research Award supports ambitious investigator-led studies that advance therapeutic interventions for dementia and strengthen the clinical research pipeline.
Deadlines
Deadline
Expression of Interest (EOI) forms accepted and reviewed all year round
Funding outcome
Full application outcomes expected in February and July each year
Overview
The award is designed to enable high-quality experimental and clinical research that generates the biological and clinical evidence needed to progress promising therapies toward larger-scale trials and real-world impact. The scheme is a key component of our Clinical Accelerator Programme, which aims to speed up the development and testing of potential treatments, and to bring more clinical trials to the UK for people living with or likely to develop dementia.
Through this award, applicants may request support for investigator-led Experimental Medicine Studies (including phase 1b/2a clinical trials) and added value sub-studies across all phases of clinical trial. This flexible structure allows researchers to design projects that address specific scientific and clinical needs, from establishing or utilising valuable biological resources to delivering early-phase investigator-led clinical trials.
The scheme aligns with Alzheimer’s Research UK’s strategic focus on developing both treatments and preventative interventions for dementia, including innovative ‘interception’ approaches to stop progression in individuals at increased risk of dementia.
What we aim to support
As the UK’s leading dementia research charity, ARUK strategic priorities focus on treatment, diagnosis and prevention (Our research strategy - Alzheimer's Research UK). The Clinical Research Award supports research that accelerates therapeutic development and strengthens the dementia clinical trials landscape.
We welcome proposals that advance interventional experimental medicine studies including early-phase (1b/2a) clinical trials in people living with or likely to develop dementia, designed to de-risk future later-phase trials. These studies should integrate biological investigation with clinical intervention, and may evaluate (including, but not limited to) target engagement, brain penetrance, and effects on disease biomarkers.
Applications that link biomarker advances with therapeutic testing are welcomed, including where biomarkers can help identify the most appropriate populations for interventions and serve as tools for recruitment stratification.
Proposals that incorporate sub-studies or added-value components across any phase of a clinical trial are also encouraged, particularly those that generate mechanistic insight through biomarkers, imaging, or digital measures. Proposals that facilitate data sharing, harmonisation, and integration across studies, enabling circular translation between discovery science and clinical research, are also strongly welcomed.
The scheme particularly values bringing together expertise from across academia, clinical practice, industry, and patient communities.
Proposals appropriate for this scheme
Experimental Medicine Studies
Experimental Medicine Studies, including early-phase interventional trials, designed to determine whether potential therapies engage their intended targets and produce measurable biological effects are eligible.
Projects funded in this area should integrate mechanistic science with clinical investigation, using biomarkers or other measures to evaluate therapeutic hypotheses. These studies are expected to generate the critical evidence needed to determine whether a therapy should progress toward later-phase trials.
Proposals that strengthen collaboration between basic biology researchers, clinician scientists, clinical trialists, and industry are particularly encouraged.
Clinical Trial Sub-studies
Recognising that large-scale, late-phase trials often require multiple sources of support, Alzheimer’s Research UK may provide part-funding for larger scale clinical trials through sub-studies or added-value components, enabling promising therapies to advance through collaborative funding arrangements with other charities, funders, academic institutions, or industry partners. If this applies to you, please contact us to discuss.
Clinical Trial Sub-studies may include:
- Trial development activities, helping researchers design robust and feasible trials that can attract additional investment and progress toward implementation.
- Applications that contribute to coordinated biobanking strategies and maximise the long-term scientific value of trials. Standalone sample collections must be unique, and hypothesis driven.
- Coordinated collection and management of high-value data generated through clinical research, such as, imaging data, digital measures, or other data from trial participants, as well as long-term follow-up activities. Where appropriate, researchers should outline plans for data and sample sharing, enabling collected resources to benefit the wider dementia research community.
Proposals that would not be appropriate for this scheme
Please note that this scheme does not support standalone late-phase clinical trial proposals. Please see the FAQ section in this page for more information.
Proposals focusing on biomarker development, pre-clinical biomarker testing, biological mechanisms or other non-clinical research may be more suitable for our Pilot, Project, or Programme Award.
Application FAQs
Grant Scheme and Eligibility
The Clinical Research Award must be academically investigator-led and applied for by a UK-based Lead or Joint Lead Applicant, although proposals involving international Joint Lead Applicants or international and/or industry Co-Investigators and Collaborators are welcomed and encouraged.
The Lead Applicant is expected to have a contract (fixed term or tenure) which covers the proposed duration of the award. Alzheimer's Research UK can support the salaries of Co-applicants that do not have tenure or fixed term contracts but not Lead Applicants. If the Lead Applicant does not hold a tenure appointment, the application must include a Joint Lead Applicant that does.
In addition, Co-applicants can include:
- Joint Lead Applicant(s): Someone who will give equal intellectual input and time as the Lead Applicant to the project. Together with the Lead Applicant, any Joint Lead Applicants will be responsible for the success of the project. Any Joint Lead Applicant(s) and the Lead Applicant will be recognised with equal status
- Co-Investigator(s): Someone who will give substantial intellectual input and time to the project, for example by leading a specific aim or work package, and who is responsible alongside the Lead Applicant and any Joint Lead Applicant(s) for the success of the project
- Collaborator(s): Someone who is important for the completion of the project, for example by supplying specific expertise or special materials, but are not responsible for the success of the project
- Administrative Support: One Administrative Support contact may be invited to your application to help provide your budget information.
Engagement with a Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) is encouraged where appropriate. CTU involvement is required for Clinical Trials of Investigational Medicinal Products (CTIMP) and advanced therapy medicinal products in line with regulatory requirements. For non-CTIMP studies, applicants should confirm trial status with the sponsor.
Full applications must include letters of support from the Host Institution and CTU (where appropriate), and from any partners contributing funding, in-kind support, or investigational compounds.
The scheme encourages collaboration across disciplines and sectors, including collaborations that bridge preclinical discovery and clinical investigation or that connect biomarker researchers with clinical trialists. We encourage multidisciplinary teams and recognise that excellent clinical research leadership can come from any clinical profession.
Applicants should outline clear plans for data sharing and harmonisation, ensuring research outputs contribute to the wider dementia research ecosystem. The scheme aims at supporting applications for therapies with potential for clinical development, therefore proposals should consider intellectual property and commercialisation pathways.
The Clinical Research Award uses a two-stage process designed to provide flexibility and early guidance.
We are committed to being an inclusive funder where all researchers have the same opportunity to access our funding. Please contact us to discuss any reasonable requests for adjustments.
Expressions of Interest
Researchers must submit an informal and confidential Expression of Interest (EOI) to us on a rolling basis throughout the year. This stage allows Alzheimer’s Research UK to assess the strategic fit of proposals and provide feedback before a full application is developed.
EOIs should include a high-level outline of the proposed study and, where relevant, early indication of compound availability, partnerships, or co-funding arrangements. Please contact us at research@alzheimersresearchuk.org to request an Expression of Interest (EOI) form.
Please note that, in order for us to best assist you, EOIs submitted less than six weeks prior to a Full Application deadline might be invited to submit a full application for a subsequent deadline. For example, if there is a full application deadline in October and you submit an EOI in September, we might invite you to submit a full application by the next deadline in March. This will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Support may also be available to help researchers incorporate meaningful involvement of people affected by dementia. We encourage applicants to submit their EOI form as soon as possible to spark early conversations where applicable.
Full Application
Applicants invited to progress will submit a Full Application, which will undergo external peer review and assessment by the Alzheimer's Research UK Clinical Committee. This committee meets twice per year to review applications, interview applicants and make funding recommendations to Alzheimer’s Research UK, with outcomes usually expected in February and July each year. Alzheimer’s Research UK will make a final funding decision on all applications.
Application form
Full Applications must be submitted through our grants management system, Flexigrant. Applicants will be provided with a personalised link to start an application in Flexigrant following internal review of an EOI form.
The Lead Applicant must assume responsibility for submitting the application on Flexigrant and your Host Institution, via your Administrative Support contact, must be ready to approve the submission before the deadline. Please note that we might request proof of relevant approvals and letters of support at the time of application submission (sponsor, MHRA, Clinical Trial Unit).
Please read our Research guidelines and policies before applying.
Alzheimer’s Research UK Clinical Research Award applications are assessed by Alzheimer's Research UK Clinical Committee.
Alzheimer’s Research UK is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) and complies with their guidelines for best practice in expert review.
Our review process includes:
Scientific review based on three criteria
- Excellence of science and potential for impact in the field and people affected by dementia
- Skills and expertise of the applicants, and suitability of the research team and environment
- How well the proposal meets the scheme criteria, and whether the resources requested are justified
Output: written reviewer comments and (where used) scores aligned to the scheme criteria.
Lived Experience review based on four criteria
- Potential impact for people with or affected by dementia
- The quality of Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Plans
- How appropriate research participation requirements are
- The quality of the Plain English Summary
Output: written reviewer comments and (where used) ratings aligned to the lived experience criteria.
Equal consideration
Both scientific and lived experience comments are provided to applicants (where applicable) and are considered side-by-side in the assessment process.
Applicant response and interview (where applicable)
Applicants are invited to interview and respond to preliminary reviewer comments.
Clinical Committee meeting
The committee considers the full application, applicant response, scientific peer review and lived experience review together to form a funding recommendation based on our Scoring System.
Final funding decision
Alzheimer’s Research UK makes the final funding decision and only accepts resubmissions invited by the committee.
All applications will receive feedback from the committee regardless of outcome.
Awards are made as per our general grant conditions that are updated from time to time. In addition, project-specific conditions may be placed on a grant. All applications submitted to Alzheimer’s Research UK are subject to the policies found in Research guidelines and policies. Please ensure you familiarise yourself with these policies and contact research@alzheimersresearchuk.org with any queries.
Awards to this scheme will be required to submit an annual Scientific Milestone Report and continued funding is contingent on satisfactory progress and review. Scientific Milestones reports may be reviewed by the Clinical Committee, and you may be given targets, invited to provide an interim report or present an update to the committee if progress is unsatisfactory. In extraordinary cases, funding may be withdrawn.