Funding for research
We support research that enables and hastens progress towards better diagnosis, treatments and cures for neurodegenerative diseases of ageing.
Image credit: Dementia Research Centre, Institute of Neurology, UCLOur foundation exists to find better ways to treat, and ultimately cure, neurodegenerative diseases of ageing. We approach this by investing only in translational research – projects that directly advance solutions for patients. We are also interested in understanding the causes of progression in these diseases, and how it might be halted.
The foundation has a particular interest in biomarkers. These are biological indicators found in human tissues, blood and other bodily fluid that can be used to measure various aspects of health or disease. They are vital to the diagnosis of disease, to monitoring its progression, and to developing new effective treatments.
"We want to see real impact. Most of my own career has been in applied research in biotech, in developing new drugs to treat disease, so I know what it takes to achieve an impact on patients. As a foundation, based on a comprehensive understanding of the field, we seek to ensure that the projects we support are advancing the cause in a meaningful way that will produce positive change in the lives of patients with these diseases.”
– Dr Jeffrey Coull, innovation advisor
2024 funding programme: Characterisation of Novel Biomarkers for Neurodegenerative Diseases of Ageing
Our research funding programme for 2024 focuses on the support of novel biomarkers that are intended to improve diagnosis of, and accelerate the development of new therapeutics for, neurodegenerative diseases of ageing. We define novel biomarkers as those that are not approved for clinical use and have been insufficiently studied. These biomarkers must have the potential to be used in the diagnosis of, prognosis of (including rate of progression), efficient conduct of clinical trials for, and/or determination of treatment response in these diseases.
Grants of up to £350,000 are available to support projects of up to three years in duration.
First-stage applications for our 2024 funding programme are now closed. Invitations for full proposals were issued in May, and successful applicants will be notified in November.
Full details of the programme, including application criteria, funding eligibility, diseases that fall within our remit and our intellectual property policy, are set out in our Programme Guide. You can also contact us directly, by emailing contact@galenhilarywestonfoundation.org, if you have questions or would like to discuss the application process.
Please note that the foundation does not accept proposals that are unsolicited or submitted outside of the course of a formal funding programme.
Click below to read about two of the research projects we have funded in recent years.