It is currently estimated that 433,000 Australians are living with dementia, the second leading cause of death of all Australians.1 A long-term approach to the diagnosis and treatment of dementia is essential for Australia's social and economic wellbeing.

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) remains committed to supporting dementia research in Australia. 

The Australian Government's Boosting Dementia Research Initiative (BDRI) invested $200 million over 5 years from 2014 to 2019 to accelerate research, enhance collaboration and promote advances in dementia research and treatment. It included 11 competitive funding rounds and the establishment of the NHMRC National Institute for Dementia Research (NNIDR). All of the $200 million ‘boost’ in dementia funding has now been fully allocated and the NNIDR closed on 30 June 2020, having fulfilled its national leadership role in targeting and coordinating the strategic expansion of dementia research in Australia.

Find further information on the BDRI Grant program webpage. NNIDR activities, outputs and resources is available at NHMRC National Institute for Dementia Research.

Recent NHMRC dementia funding news:

  • 2024: Twelve NHMRC grants were funded totalling $18 million dollars for dementia research. This included 4 Investigator grants, 4 ideas grant, 3 postgraduate scholarship and 1 Centres of Research Excellence (CRE) scheme. NHMRC also participated in a joint collaborative call with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and has invested $3 million AUD for international collaborations undertaking research that globally advances the field of neurodegeneration among Indigenous populations. The grant opportunity opened on 22 August 2024 and applications closed on 5 February 2025.
  • 2022: The NHMRC-Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) scheme invited proposals to further understand the many potential causes of dementia, modifiable lifestyle risk and protective factors that may prevent or delay the onset of dementia. Three projects were funded under this scheme for a total investment of $1.5 million.
  • 2021: Nine Investigator Grants at the Emerging Leadership (EL) level (five EL1 and four EL2 levels), to a total value of $9 million were awarded to outstanding investigators in the field of dementia research.
  • 2020: Three Centres of Research Excellence (CRE) grants in dementia research were awarded to a total value of $9 million. Further information is available at Centres of Research Excellence.
  • Further information on NHMRC-funded research can be found on the Outcomes of funding rounds webpage. Information on current and future NHMRC funding opportunities is available at Find Funding.

Funding facts

Since 2015, we have awarded over $458 million in direct funding to 447 dementia research projects. Forty-three percent of the grants have been in basic science research, followed by clinical medicine and science research (39%), public health research (10%) and health services research (8%). See the NHMRC dementia funding outcomes data (available in Downloads below) for all dementia research funded through NHMRC funding schemes since 2015.

Resources

National Dementia Action Plan 2024–2034

The National Dementia Action Plan is Australia’s national dementia policy framework. It aims to improve the lives and care of people living with dementia, their carers and families over the next 10 years.

Strategic Roadmap for Dementia Research and Translation

The Strategic Roadmap for Dementia Research and Translation (available in Downloads below) outlines the priorities for dementia research in Australia identified through the NNIDR.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Roadmap for Dementia Research and Translation

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Roadmap for Dementia Research and Translation (available in Downloads below) provides a framework for policy, strategy and funding to address the challenge of dementia within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities - for people currently living with dementia, their families and carers.

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Dementia Research Action Plan

The Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Dementia Research Action Plan includes research priorities and guiding principles identified to increase inclusion of CALD Australians in dementia research, and improve dementia health and care equity for all Australians. The Action Plan was developed by the NNIDR and the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI). For further information, please refer to the NHMRC National Institute for Dementia Research.

Dementia research outcomes

We are committed to evaluating the significant $200 million BDRI investment to better understand the impact of dementia research funding and to identify areas of need for future investment in this area.

Consumer involvement in dementia research

We understand and value the importance of meaningful engagement with consumers throughout all stages of research and health care. We encourage the active involvement of people living with dementia, their carers and families, and the wider community in dementia research. More information can be found at NHMRC consumer and community engagement.

Contact

Email dementia.research@nhmrc.gov.au

1 Dementia Australia (2025), Dementia facts and figures

Downloads

File type
Size
Strategic Roadmap for Dementia Research and Translation 555.02 KB
pdf
0.54 MB
Download Dementia
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Roadmap for Dementia Research and Translation 1.46 MB
pdf
1.46 MB
Download Dementia
Dementia funding outcomes 2015-2024179.65 KB
xlsx
0.18 MB
Download Dementia

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