Dementia Australia Research Foundation

DARF Grants and Fellowships are open to Australian-based dementia researchers undertaking projects across all forms of dementia and in any topic area; biomedical (lab-based), clinical, epidemiological, psychosocial, or knowledge translation research projects will all be considered.

Project Grants: are intended to help new and early-career investigators establish their careers as independent dementia researchers by supporting small, time-limited research projects, or pilot projects.

Post-doctoral Fellowships: aim to attract early-career researchers, who have completed their PhD within the last six years, to the field of dementia research and provide them with an opportunity to fast-track their progress towards becoming independent researchers.

Mid-Career Research Fellowships: aim to support researchers, who have completed their PhD within the last 10 years (accounting for career interruptions), to continue their progress towards being internationally recognised leaders in the dementia field. It also provides an opportunity for mid-career researchers to establish their own independent research programs.

Clinical Post-graduate Scholarships: aim to build capacity in the dementia field by supporting a health professional to undertake a PhD and embark on a career in dementia research.

Travel Award: designed to assist Australian dementia researchers to travel nationally or internationally, to learn new techniques and/or build networks with well-known research teams. Aims to support researchers across the early stages of their career, from PhD students (completed at least one-year full-time equivalent of their PhD up to having passed their PhD confirmation) to Mid-Career researchers (up to 10 years post-PhD)

Research Translation Grant: aims to accelerate the real-world adoption of evidence-based strategies that contribute to best practice approaches to dementia care.

Project Grant: $85,000 and may be used for a period of up to 2 years.

Post-doctoral Fellowship: 3 years in duration and includes a salary component of $118,000 per annum, which may be indexed in line with wage growth each year. It also includes a $85,000 project grant, to cover research expenses.

Mid-Career Fellowship: 2 years in duration and includes a salary component of $151,000 per annum and may be indexed in line with wage growth each year. It also includes a $85,000 project grant, to cover research expenses.

Clinical Post-graduate Scholarships: worth $30,000 and may be used over 1 to 2 years. The funds may be used to cover (or backfill) the applicant’s salary and/or associated research activities and can be taken in conjunction with another scholarship.

Travel Award: The grant is valued up to $15,000 for a study period of up to six months (depending on the purpose for travel). Funding can be used for conference registration fees, travel, and reasonable accommodation expenses.

Research Translation Grant: up to $460,000 and may be used over 2 to 3 years. Funding may vary depending on the quality of applications received and proposed budgets i.e. within a total funding pool of $460,000, more than one grant may be awarded.

Applications must be submitted via a new DARF grant management platform.

Supporting documents (in PDF format) must also be uploaded on the application portal as detailed within the respective ‘Information for Applicants’ documents.

The application must be endorsed through the online application portal by:

• Each investigator named in the application (i.e. CI and all supervisors/AIs listed), confirming that the information provided in the application, including their contribution, is correct.
• The Head of Administering Institution (or nominee, normally the Research Office) in which the research will take place.

You must allow sufficient time to complete the endorsement process prior to the application closing date and time.

The key dates for DARF applications are as follows:

• Schemes Open: 03 June 2025
• GDT Strategic Review Period: 30 June 2025 - 3 July 2025 (optional GDT service);Book here
• GDT Compliance & Eligibility Check Period: 14 July 2025 - 17 July 2025 (mandatory GDT service);Book here
• Schemes close (all schemes): Tuesday 29 July 2025, 5:00pm AEST via DARF grant management platform
• Outcomes announced: Early 2026
• Funding commences: January - March 2026 or by arrangement

DARF Resources:

Information for applicants booklets for:

• Project Grants, Post-doctoral Fellowships, Mid-Career Research Fellowships, Clinical Practice Post-graduate Stipend
• Travel Grants
• Research Translation Grant.

New online application and grant management portal: To submit an application, first register to create an account here.

Writing tips and Involvement of Dementia Advocates

Online Grant overview session: 
This webinar, presented by the Sydney Dementia Network, will provide an outline of the grants available in 2025 as well as insights and useful tips on preparing your grant application from reviewers, previous grant recipients and people with a living experience of dementia. A Q&A session with the audience will follow.

When: Friday 20 June 2025, 12:00pm - 2:00pm (AEST)

Register: For further information and to register your interest, click here.

Macquarie University Resources:

• MMS PC2 lab costs
• Macquarie University Salary Rates
• GDT Letter of Support template
• GDT Career Disruption calculator (To be updated)
• GDT Budget Calculator (To be updated)

Contact us for more information about the scheme

Dr. Gillian Hulst
Grant Development Manager
Research Services
T:+61-2-9850-2751
E: grant.development@mq.edu.au