Two operating grants, one goal: advancing dementia research in Canada
October 13, 2026
Expanding our investment in dementia research
This year, CLEAR Foundation expanded its investment in Canadian dementia research with the launch of two 2026 Operating Grants, each valued at $400,000 over two years.
Together, these grants represent up to $800,000 in new funding for biomedical research focused on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The 2026 competition opened in June and was designed to support innovative projects with strong translational potential and a clear pathway toward meaningful therapeutic or clinical impact.
Our research selection process
Scientific rigour is at the centre of CLEAR’s funding model.
Submitted applications undergo a rigorous, independent peer-review process. Proposals are assessed on factors including scientific merit, innovation, feasibility and potential impact. Following individual assessments, the Peer Review Committee discusses the proposals and finalizes scores before funding recommendations are presented to CLEAR’s Board of Directors for approval.
This process helps ensure that funding decisions are driven by the quality and promise of the science. It also reflects a broader principle behind CLEAR’s approach: directing resources toward research that can advance our understanding of dementia and, ultimately, improve outcomes for people affected by the disease.
Why operating grants matter
Scientific progress rarely happens in a single experiment.
Operating Grants provide established researchers with multi-year support to pursue advanced scientific programs and sustain promising work over time. CLEAR’s funding model is designed to give researchers the resources they need to investigate important questions, generate new evidence and move discoveries closer to meaningful clinical impact.
Last year, CLEAR’s Operating Grant supported Dr. Ann Marie Craig’s research into some of the earliest changes that occur in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. Her team is examining how synapses (the connections that allow brain cells to communicate) become damaged during dementia.
Our focused approach to dementia research
CLEAR's singular mission is to fund high-impact dementia research in Canada.
That focus shapes how we operate and where we invest.
100% of public donations are directed to dementia research, meaning donor support goes directly toward the scientists, projects and partnerships working to advance progress against Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
The application period for the 2026 Operating Grants has now closed, and the scientific review and selection process is underway. We look forward to introducing the researchers who receive funding and sharing more about the science their work will advance.
For our donors and community, these grants are also a reflection of your generosity. Your support enables CLEAR to invest in promising scientists, bold ideas and discoveries with the potential to reshape what is possible in dementia prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
fund the next breakthrough
Help change the future of dementia in Canada.
100% of public donations are directed to funding research.