Grant and Funding Programs Offered by CLEAR Foundation (CLEAR)

CLEAR Foundation, also known as Canadians for Leading Edge Alzheimer Research, is a national non-profit organization dedicated to financing biomedical research on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in Canada. The foundation mobilizes philanthropic donations and investment income to support world-class research, from basic mechanisms of disease to translational projects aimed at diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Since 2008, CLEAR reports having directly funded over $17 million in dementia research, and more than $27 million when counting partnered funding.

CLEAR’s portfolio is structured around several recurring funding instruments. Its annual Operating Grants provide substantial multi‑year support to leading-edge research projects with the potential to transform dementia knowledge and care. The foundation also co-funds Trainee Awards and Scholar Awards in partnership with Health Research BC, offering salary and training support to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and early-career investigators as they build independent research programs.

In addition, CLEAR works with trusted partner organizations that run their own peer-review systems. Through memoranda of understanding, the foundation co-invests in peer-reviewed projects identified by these partners, extending its impact across multiple institutions and research domains, including neurobiology, imaging, biomarkers, exercise interventions and novel therapeutics.

For its own competitions, CLEAR uses a rigorous peer-review process. Arm’s-length scientists, generally based outside British Columbia, are invited to assess proposals according to CLEAR’s invitation criteria and the overall scientific value of the research. Reviewers submit preliminary and then final scores after committee discussion. The Board of Directors receives anonymized scores and recommendations, and it approves all expenditures based on these results, preserving both independence and accountability.

Funded investigators must submit regular progress reports. Grants are usually paid annually, with subsequent payments contingent on satisfactory updates. CLEAR also requires awardees to acknowledge the foundation’s support in publications and presentations, helping to raise awareness of its role in advancing dementia research.

CLEAR primarily funds academic researchers and their teams at Canadian universities, research institutes and hospitals. The foundation’s project list includes work at the University of British Columbia, University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University, BC Children’s Hospital and other institutions across British Columbia and Canada. Funded projects span topics such as biomarker development, virtual-reality–based diagnosis, neuroinflammation, vascular contributions to dementia, exercise and cognitive health, and 3D bioprinted brain tissue for drug screening.

Through sustained annual competitions, CLEAR has supported dozens of scientists and trainees, building a strong regional and national cluster of dementia researchers. Its financial stewardship model—where board donations and investment income cover administration and fundraising costs—enables 100% of public donations to be allocated to research grants, maximizing the impact of every contribution on the search for prevention, treatment and ultimately a cure.