Formula 1 teams have a relentless drive to succeed. Working together to achieve a common goal. Race Against Dementia believes this mindset can be applied to a team of dementia researchers to speed up progress.
Race Against Dementia Teams identifies high potential leaders – researchers with an inventive approach. We back them to build a talented team of scientists. Awards of £750,000 are made to support the team for five years, and funds can be used for headcount, equipment and research costs.
Team selection is spearheaded by Rosetrees, a UK private medical charity who have funded over 2,000 research projects and have a successful venture philanthropy approach. Race Against Dementia trains the entire team in a Formula 1-style mindset for focus and advancement.
Sir Jackie Stewart OBE
Formula 1 teams have a relentless drive to succeed. Working together to achieve a common goal. Race Against Dementia believes this mindset can be applied to a team of dementia researchers to speed up progress.
Race Against Dementia Teams identifies high potential leaders – researchers with an inventive approach. We back them to build a talented team of scientists. Awards of £750,000 are made to support the team for five years, and funds can be used for headcount, equipment and research costs.
Team selection is spearheaded by Rosetrees, a UK private medical charity who have funded over 2,000 research projects and have a successful venture philanthropy approach. Race Against Dementia trains the entire team in a Formula 1-style mindset for focus and advancement.
Sir Jackie Stewart OBE
Be the first to hear when Teams research applications open.
Applications are now open for the next generation of research teams ready to accelerate their science and build high performing interdisciplinary teams.
We’re looking for visionary UK-based research leaders who want to recruit diverse talent and equip their teams with the tools and funds they need to go the distance in the race against dementia, backed by training in the Formula 1 mindset to accelerate progress.
Grants of up to £750,000 are again available to fund ambitious projects across basic science, translational or clinical research (e.g. new diagnostics, prevention, disease mechanisms, or new therapeutic targets).
We’re so pleased to again be partnering with Rosetrees – a UK private medical charity who have funded over 2,000 research projects and have a successful venture philanthropy approach – to support on both selection and funding of the successful new Teams.
Applications will be made via the Rosetrees website. You’ll first submit a short preliminary proposal (2–3 pages).
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit detailed full proposals, which will undergo external peer review.
Applications close on 2nd February 2026.
For full eligibility details, focus areas, format, key dates and application guidance, please visit the Rosetrees website.
Read more about the current Teams and the progress they have made so far:
Vascular dementia, mostly caused by damage to the small blood vessels in the brain, affects millions globally, contributing to up to 40% of dementia cases.
Despite being so common, no specific treatments exist, and few clinical trials have focussed on this type of dementia.
Many patients with vascular disease suffer from comorbidities like heart disease or diabetes, which can interfere with research trials. As a result, these patients are often excluded from dementia research, leaving a critical gap in understanding and treatment options. Team Vascular are on a mission to change that.
Air pollution isn’t just choking our lungs; it’s silently harming our brains too. At the cutting edge of this discovery is Team RAPID, a pioneering group from University College London based at the Francis Crick Institute.
Their mission?
To unravel the link between the air we breathe and the rise of dementia.
Team FTD will run a trial to test new treatments for FTD, primary progressive aphasia, progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndrome.
These incurable brain diseases have different root causes but share some distressing symptoms. Behavioural change, impulsivity, personality change, apathy and obsessional habits can be experienced by people living with these illnesses. These challenging behaviours have no proven effective treatments, cause considerable distress to individuals and their families and are associated with poor survival.
Team FTD is on a mission to find effective treatments for frontotemporal dementia.
Team Focused Ultrasound are running a pioneering clinical trial to explore the potential of low-intensity focused ultrasound in improving cognitive function for people with Lewy body dementia.
Lewy body dementia is a complex and under-researched condition. It affects 15% of all dementia patients and is marked by progressive memory and attention impairment. With limited treatment options, there is an urgent need for fresh approaches to improve the lives of those affected.
