The Alzheimer Society Research Program

What is the Alzheimer Society Research Program?

The Alzheimer Society Research Program (ASRP) is one of Canada's most innovative hubs for dementia research, helping the best and brightest minds in the field spark their work from ideas to impact.

Starting this year, the ASRP is changing the way it invests in research:

Encouraging researchers to explore radical new ways to advance our knowledge of dementia

Improving the quality of life for people living with dementia, their families and caregivers

On this page, learn more about the Alzheimer Society Research Program, including funding opportunities for researchers, when applications open and highlights from previous ASRP funded research.

See this year's funding recipients. ⇨

Find out about funding and application dates. ⇩

Learn more about the Program's history and highlights. ⇩

Know more about the Program's supporters and how you can help too. ⇩

Funding for researchers

Application dates

Interested in applying? Applications will open here starting September 9, 2019.

Before applying, learn more about the program's priorities and your opportunities for funding.

Funding priorities

Starting in 2019, the ASRP will shift into an open competition that will focus on four new funding priorities:

Discovery

Policy and health systems change

Evaluation of community programs

Ethical and legal issues

Applications in other aspects of dementia research will also be considered depending on their relevance to one of the funding priorities. However, these applications will not take precedence.

Funding opportunities

Our funding opportunities are also changing:

Proof of concept grant: $100,000 up to five years (NEW)

Supports investigators, both established and new, with innovative approaches that require funding for projects with potential high risk and high yield. New hypotheses are prioritized over existing. Funds can be accessed as needed for up to five years.

New investigator operating grant: $200,000 up to four years

Supports new investigators within the first four years of their faculty position to build their programs of research. Funds can be accessed as needed for up to four years.

Postdoctoral fellowship: $100,000 over two years

Supports trainees within the first 18 months of completing their PhD program.

Doctoral award: $66,000 over three years

Supports students in the first 18 months of their PhD program.

More about the Alzheimer Society Research Program

Since the Program's start in 1989, we have invested over $59 million in grants and awards toward innovative research that brings us closer to a future without Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Examples of research funded through the ASRP

Through the support of the ASRP, dementia researchers across Canada were able to work on projects like:

"An intergenerational choir that provides a voice for people with dementia and caregivers through the power of music."

— Dr. Debra Sheets, University of Victoria

Read more ►

"Using MRI to predict the onset of dementia — 20 to 25 years before symptoms appear."

— Dr. Simon Duchesne, Université Laval

Read more ►

"Adopting new and accessible technology such as iPads to emphasize person-centered care in hospitals."

— Dr. Lillian Hung, Simon Fraser University

Read more ►

Supporting the Program

The Alzheimer Society Research Program is a collaborative effort. The Alzheimer Society of Canada would like to thank the following:

Our donors

None of the research funded through the ASRP could be possible without your support. If you are interested in supporting dementia research through the ASRP, please donate today.

Our partners

Our partners include the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA), the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS), the Pacific Alzheimer Research Foundation, the Barrett Family Foundation and the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation. Find out more about our partners here.