Pilot Projects
Supports dementia researchers with early ideas that need pilot evidence before advancing to larger studies.
Pilot Projects is Alzheimer's Research UK's entry-level grant for novel dementia research ideas. It sits below the charity's larger Major Projects route and is designed to help promising concepts generate the evidence needed for follow-on funding. The award reaches up to GBP 70,000 over two years. Lead applicants must be based at a UK academic or research institution and hold, or be partnered with someone who holds, a tenure-status contract covering the grant period. International collaborators and SME co-applicants are allowed. The budget can cover salaries for researchers, technicians, or students, plus equipment, animal costs, and running costs. The scheme runs on an annual cycle. It is strongest for testable ideas with a clear next step, especially work that could move into Major Projects or another translational route. ARUK also uses the scheme to support small translational projects, including work that may connect with its Drug Discovery Alliance, and projects involving human participants may go through lived-experience review.
Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.