Grants
Pilot Award
Grant amount:
Up to £100,000
Grant deadline:
28 October 2026
The Alzheimer’s Research UK Pilot Award supports early-stage, high-risk, high-reward ideas that have the potential to unlock new directions in dementia research. It is designed to help researchers at all career stages generate data, test highly novel hypotheses and build new collaborations in dementia research.
Overview
This scheme provides up to £100,000 over a maximum of 12 months to explore innovative concepts that if successful, could be transformational for people affected by dementia. It is open to researchers at any career stage, with Early Career Researchers encouraged to apply as Lead Applicants alongside at least one established Joint Lead Applicant for mentorship. We particularly welcome proposals that bring together new collaborations or introduce researchers from other disciplines to dementia research.
Pilot Awards enable applicants to pursue bold, exploratory work without the requirement for extensive preliminary data, though any data you have will be considered. Data generated or collaborations established through this award are intended to form the basis for subsequent project and programme funding.
What we aim to support
Applications must demonstrate relevance to one or more areas of the scheme’s remit:
- Test highly novel, high-risk, high-reward research ideas
- Lead by an Early Career Researcher as a first independent award
- Support new multidisciplinary collaborations between two or more Joint Lead Applicants (Co-PIs) from different disciplines
- Introduce new entrants to dementia research from related disciplines i.e. data science, chemistry and mathematics
Duration: Up to 12 months
Deadlines
Applications open
July 2026
Deadline
28 October 2026
Funding outcome
Spring 2027
Lead Applicants must be based in a UK university, hospital or research institution. However, applications can include Co-applicants (i.e. Co-Investigators and Collaborators) from outside the UK. Co-Investigators and Collaborators from small and medium enterprises are also permitted.
We welcome researchers at all career stages to apply, provided the proposals addresses a truly novel research idea, novel collaboration or is from a new entrant(s) to dementia research. We particularly welcome applications from Early Career Researchers alongside an established Joint Lead Applicant for mentorship.
We encourage novel multidisciplinary collaborations between Lead and Joint Lead Applicant(s) from a broad range of fields, including, but to limited to:
- Immunology
- Engineering
- Physics
- Data sciences
- Statistics
- Chemistry
Lead Applicants do not need to have previous dementia research experience but must apply with at least one dementia researcher and address a clear link to an urgent question in dementia research.
The Lead Applicant is expected to have a contract (fixed term or tenure) which covers the proposed duration of the grant. Alzheimer's Research UK can support the salaries of Early Career Researchers, as defined by our ECR Framework, as Lead Applicants that do not have tenure or fixed term contracts but not to established Co-applicant salaries for this scheme. 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.
Applications are considered once a year and must be submitted through our grants management system, Flexigrant.
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 read our research guidelines and policies before applying.
Alzheimer’s Research UK Pilot Award applications are assessed by the Alzheimer's Research UK Research Committee.
Alzheimer’s Research UK is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities and complies with their guidelines for best practice in expert review.
For this scheme, reviewers will consider what makes your proposal a Pilot Award, according to the scheme’s remit above.
Grants will be awarded on the basis of open competition with reviewers being asked to assess applications based on three key criteria:
- The excellence of the science, and the potential for impact in the field and people affected by dementia
- The skills and expertise of the applicants, and the suitability of the team and environment that surround them
- How well the proposal meets the scheme criteria, and whether the resources requested are justified
Applications are reviewed by members of the Research Committee. The Research Committee make a funding recommendation to Alzheimer’s Research UK based on our Scoring System. Alzheimer’s Research UK make all final funding decisions.
Unfortunately, due to the volume of applications we receive, there is no opportunity to respond to review comments and feedback may be limited. Please note that all Alzheimer’s Research UK funding decisions are final, and Alzheimer’s Research UK does not accept resubmissions, unless invited by the Committee.
Grants are awarded as per our general grant conditions that are updated time to time. In addition, additional conditions may be placed on a grant.
All grant holders are expected to report on the progress of their project on a regular basis. Read more about our reporting requirements on the measuring impact page.
All applications submitted to Alzheimer’s Research UK are subject to the policies found in our research guidelines and policies.
Please ensure you familiarise yourself with these policies and contact research@alzheimersresearchuk.org with any queries.