Inspire Fund - Alzheimer's Research UK Public Engagement Grants, deadline 14 October

Inspire Fund provides funding for projects that engage the public with the topic of dementia and the life-changing research going on into the condition.

This scheme is part of Alzheimer’s Research UK’s work to engage and empower the public by improving understanding of dementia and sharing the benefits of dementia research. They want to support new perspectives, talent and expertise to shed a spotlight on this important issue, and the scheme is open to anyone with the passion and skills to make that possible.

Through the scheme, they want to build relationships between communities and researchers, and are especially interested in proposals led by community groups or organisations.

They strongly encourage applicants to forge links with collaborators or groups to strengthen ideas. They recognise this can take time, and will be supporting relationship building in funded projects.

Projects can use a range of methods to engage with their audience. They encourage applicants to consider their audience when selecting methods of engagement, to ensure people are able to take part.

Inspire Fund projects must meet both of these criteria:

1. Projects must engage with underserved audiences on the topic of dementia, such as minority ethnic communities, marginalised or socioeconomically disadvantaged people.
2. Build knowledge and understanding about brain health (in the context of dementia risk reduction) and explore ways to encourage behaviour change.

Grants will not be awarded to:

• Projects where research is the primary purpose.
• Projects that will take place outside of the UK.
• Projects providing dementia care or other front-line services (including arts therapy).
• Projects judged to be using the scheme to further the commercial interests of an organisation.
• Cover the cost of projects that are part of an organisation’s usual programme of activities.