Partially. After looking at Brazilian research funding agencies (CAPES, CNPQ, FAPESP, FAPERJ, FAPMIG, FACEP, etc.), it was not possible to find specific funding for dementia research. Nevertheless, these agencies provide funding for students and researchers applying for scholarships at different graduate levels (e.g., master’s and PhD’s) where research in dementia may be developed. In terms of international funding, there are some, but usually through partnership of Brazilian researchers with researcher from countries where the funding comes from.

Besides government funding, there are two philanthropic organisations constantly funding dementia research in Hong Kong: The Elderly Fund under Simon KY Lee Foundation and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

Under Simon KY Lee Foundation, the Simon K. Y. Lee Elderly Fund was set up in 2007 with a mission to improve the well-being and quality of life of the elderly. It supports pioneering projects in areas of elderly care that are in critical need yet not well funded, seeking to address the problems via collaboration with the social welfare sector and the academia (Simon K.Y.Lee Foundation, 2020). This fund has committed itself to the area of dementia care and promotion of “Early Detection and Early Intervention”. Since 2008, it has funded a total amount of HK$20.9 millions to support research, service, and capacity building for academic institutions and NGOs.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a pioneer in caring for persons with dementia. In 2000, it established the Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing, Hong Kong’s first dementia care centre integrating research, training, and service. In 2006, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust donated HK$380 millions and launched the project CADENZA: A Jockey Club Initiative for Seniors which aims at nurturing academic leaders in gerontology and shaping the attitudes of the general public through a range of training and public education programmes. This initiative has sponsored a wide range of research activities and social care service in relation to dementia throughout the years.  A one-stop integrated health and social care centre, the Jockey Club CADENZA Hub was under this initiative as well and it set up in 2011 (The Hong Kong Jockey Club, 2013).

References:

Simon K.Y.Lee Foundation. (2020). Elderly Projects.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club. (2013). Jockey Club funds Hong Kong’s first-ever mobile health checks for dementia.

Yes.

Some dementia research undertaken in Indonesia is funded from other countries:

– STRiDE-Dementia (funded by the UKRI GCRF) (Biro Kerjasama dan Komunikasi Publik Kemenristek/BRIN, 2019)

– Surveymeter’s research on cognitive impairment prevalence in Yogyakarta and Bali (funded by the Knowledge Sector Initiative) (Prakarsa, n.d.)

– Research on benefit of tempeh (fermented soybean) on cognitive function (Funded by Newton Fund) (Jauhary & Wardyah, 2019; Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat, 2018).

There is also funding for research related to older people (not specifically dementia):

– Prakarsa, a Jakarta-based NGO think tank performs research, analysis and capacity building on a wide range of topics related to welfare issues including in older people and receive funding from various donors listed on their website (including Oxfam NOVIB, The Ford Foundation, The Asia Foundation, Australian National University, Hivos, University of Illinois at Chicago, Institute of Development Studies – University of Sussex, etc). However, there are no details on which donor provides funding for which programme (Jauhary & Wardyah, 2019; Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat, 2018).

Many research projects run by academics in Indonesia are supported by internal funding of each of the universities (Jauhary & Wardyah, 2019; Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat, 2018).

References:

Biro Kerjasama dan Komunikasi Publik Kemenristek/BRIN. (2019). Newton Prize 2019: Kolaborasi Peneliti Indonesia-Inggris untuk Mempersiapkan Komunitas Pesisir Menghadapi Dampak Perubahan Iklim, Menangkan Kategori Newton Country Prize 2019.

Jauhary, A., & Wardyah, N. S. (2019). Untuk penelitian dosen Unhas gelontorkan dana Rp70 miliar.

Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat. (2018). Laporan Tahunan LPPM Unika Atma Jaya 2017.

Prakarsa. (n.d.). The Prakarsa – NGO Think Tank Based In Jakarta, Indonesia. http://theprakarsa.org/donor-mitra-kerja/

The STRiDE Dementia project happening in Jamaica is funded by the Global Council Research Fund, UK. Funding is used to directly support its research team and partners at the Caribbean Institute for Health Research University of the West Indies, Mona and Alzheimer’s Jamaica.

At national level, there are calls from the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT) aimed at health issues, if the priority is mental health or aging. In addition, several National Institutes of Health have international agreements, for example the institute of neurology has partnerships with Wellcome Trust, European Research Council, Medical Research Council (UK), Alzheimer’s Association, and FEDMA. The National Institute of Public Health (INSP) and the National Institute of Geriatrics (INGer) have collaborated with the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS).

At least three National Institutes of Health include in their Research and/or Clinical Departments researchers that have dementia as one of their main lines of research (National Institute of Geriatrics, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosciences and the National Institute of Nutrition and Medical Sciences). For example, Sara Torres Castro, researcher at the National Institute of Geriatrics has received a grant from the British Academy/Newton Fund to develop the ‘PROCUIDA-Dementia’ study; a feasibility study investigating an optimised person-centred intervention to reduce antipsychotic medication and improve the quality of life of older people living in care homes (ISRCTN 16463016); the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosciences has been part of the 10/66 dementia project since its onset and is currently collaborating in the FINGERS project. The Institutes, in collaboration with the National Academy of Medicine and different universities have collaborated in publishing three books[1], one position statement together with the National Academy of Medicine, one with the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí (UASLP) and one with the Alzheimer’s Iberoamerica association.

[1] La Enfermedad de Alzheimer y otras demencias como problema nacional de salud (https://www.anmm.org.mx/publicaciones/ultimas_publicaciones/ANM-ALZHEIMER.pdf); El Alzheimer en Iberoamérica (https://alzheimeriberoamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/media/uploads/regular_files/el-alzheimer-en-iberoamerica.pdf ); Demencias. Una visión panorámica (http://www.cdi.salud.gob.mx/descargas/publicaciones-inger/Demencia.pdf ).

Yes.

Government

While not dementia specific, the government provides research funding that can be applied for incontestable funding rounds. The main health research funding by the government is through the Health Research Council (HRC) – a crown agency dedicated to funding and fostering outstanding research. Other government avenues include the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Ageing well Science Challenge, contestable funding for research into older people.

NGOs and Trusts

There are several NGOs and trusts that can be applied to for research funding. This includes the Alzheimer’s NZ Charitable Trust.

Yes. For example, the STARSHINE (i.e., Study of Idalopirdine in patients with mild-moderate Alzheimer’s Disease treated with Donepezil) (see https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01955161) clinical trial completed in 2016 sponsored by H. Lundbeck A/S, a Danish research-based pharmaceutical company.