We are pleased to announce that grants made available under the 2024 RM Gibson program of the AAG Research Trust are now open.

RM Gibson grants are open to AAG members who are in the early stages of their careers. They are specifically aimed at supporting the next generation of researchers or practitioners across the multidisciplinary field of ageing. These grants:

• Facilitate early career learning and growth by providing seed funding for a standalone project, or a discrete piece of work within an existing project; and
• Help early career researchers build their grant track record.

In 2024, the Research Trust is offering:

• Up to three grants of up to $10,000 (inc GST) each, for projects up to 18 months in duration; and
• A possible additional grant of up to $10,000 (inc GST), for projects up to 18 months in duration for applications with a substantive dementia focus, made possible through a partnership between the AAG Research Trust and the Dementia Australia Research Foundation (DARF).

We know how much work goes into grant applications and understand that seed funding covers only small projects, or components of a bigger project. But when it comes to helping our early career members, we follow this proverb:

'If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven't spent the night with a mosquito."

On the Research Trust pages of the AAG website, you can read how previous RM Gibson grants have supported knowledge creation and innovative thinking. Examples include:

• 'The RM Gibson award supported a critical aspect of my PhD studies ... [and] helped set a foundation for my career by instilling me with confidence to pursue my passion for ageing and dementia research' (N D'Cunha, 2018)
• 'Involving people with lived experience of dementia in every aspect of our research would not have been possible without the funding received from the AAG Research Trust and DARF' (N Folder, 2022)
• 'The RM Gibson award funded my PhD qualitative interview study, involving 30 GPs, which led to two publications on my PhD topic' (K Weir, 2016).

Please see the Research Trust pages on the AAG website for more information. Applications close on Monday 27 April 2024 and must be made through the RM Gibson webpage.

If you have any questions about these grants, please contact us on 03 8506 0575 or email grants@aag.asn.au.

Yours sincerely

Professor Anne-Marie Hill
Chair of the AAG Research Trust Grants Committee