Race Against Dementia was founded by three-time Formula One world champion Sir Jackie Stewart to accelerate progress in dementia research by backing bold ideas and moving quickly when promising opportunities emerge.
Applications are now invited for the Race Against Dementia Ignition Fund, which offers flexible grants of up to £100,000 to help researchers act quickly on promising new leads in dementia research. The Fund is designed for ideas that have emerged unexpectedly and sit outside an existing grant, but could accelerate progress if supported now. The application process is intentionally simple and agile, with two stages designed to help researchers access funding quickly and maintain momentum.
To support potential applicants, the founder have published a recording of the information session and an FAQ page on their website.
Scientific discovery rarely follows a straight path. Promising ideas can surface in the middle of existing projects – long before traditional funding models are ready to respond. The Ignition Fund helps promising research find grip at the right moment.
They are looking for early- to mid-career researchers (and selected senior applicants) with strong, novel ideas that fall outside the scope of traditional funding.
Posted on 06/08/2026
