The primary purpose of Atlantic funding to the Health Research Board was to improve the care and well-being of people with dementia by supporting a programme to develop independent, peer-assessed, applied research and capacity-building, linked to the roll-out of the National Dementia Strategy. Its main aim was to enhance leadership and develop capacity within the dementia research field, with a particular focus on applied dementia research focused on prevention, intervention and care.
The programme comprised of three interlocking grant activities:
- The National Dementia Strategy Competitive Fund
- Leadership and Capacity Development
- Research and Practice Knowledge.
The funding was awarded through existing Health Research Board schemes, each of which were targeted at researchers with different levels of experience, from Ph.D applicants to established researchers with extensive research and supervision experience, with a view to developing scale and capacity in dementia specifically.
The current field of dementia research in Ireland is still developing, with relatively few active younger researchers or leaders, particularly in the social sphere.
The grant, therefore, sought to transform the current dementia landscape through an infusion of thought and practice leadership and, in doing so, to optimise the impact of Atlantic’s investment package under the National Dementia Strategy framework through the creation of an independent capacity for commentary and evaluation.
