$5 Million For Childhood Dementia Research

20 May 2026

The Childhood Dementia Initiative are thrilled to announce that the Australian Government’s medical research funding body, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), has announced $5 million in funding for research focused entirely on childhood dementia and is calling for research proposals. 

For children with dementia, this research funding could not come soon enough.

Childhood Dementia Initiative put childhood dementia forward as a priority research topic. They drew on five years of evidence gathered alongside families, researchers, and health professionals. The NHMRC agreed: childhood dementia is a high-priority area that demands urgent, targeted action. It has dedicated $5 million to childhood dementia research.

The funding round - called the Targeted Call for Research: Childhood Dementia 2026 - will support research projects across diagnosis, care and support, the development of treatments and health system readiness.

If you are a researcher or health professional:

We strongly encourage you to consider applying.

Applications close: 3 June 2026 at 5 PM ACT
Grant duration: 1 to 5 years
Funding pool: $5 million
The full guidelines are available on GrantConnect at www.grants.gov.au.

The involvement of families with lived experience is emphasised in the grant guidelines. If you would like to explore how THE Childhood Dementia Initiative may be able to help with this, please email [email protected] with a short summary of your proposed project and what community input you are seeking. They will be in touch as soon as possible.

This is a much-welcome boost to childhood dementia research, and builds on the $2.7 million allocated to childhood dementia research in 2023 through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF). But this is just the start. The Childhood Dementia Initiative will continue to advocate for the substantial and sustained funding and systems needed to give children with dementia brighter futures.