Dementia CAReS Grants for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities
This grant funds Tribal and Urban Indian communities to improve dementia care and support for American Indian and Alaska Native people, emphasizing Indigenous values and community self-determination.
Funder: Indian Health Service
Due Dates: September 4, 2026: Full application submission deadline (applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time)
Funding Amounts: Total program funding: $1,050,000 | Award ceiling: $750,000 | Award floor: $250,000 | Two awards expected (one per track), up to 5 years
Summary: Supports Tribal and Urban Indian communities in strengthening culturally responsive dementia care and services for American Indian and Alaska Native people, caregivers, and communities.
Key Information: Applicants may submit for one or both funding tracks (separate applications required for each).
Description
This funding opportunity from the Indian Health Service (IHS) is designed to improve dementia care and services for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people, their caregivers, and communities. The program is rooted in Indigenous values and aims to provide measurable improvements across the dementia care continuum—from early recognition and diagnosis to caregiver support.
There are two distinct tracks:
- Option A: Dementia CARES (Care Access, Resources, and Support)
- One national awardee will coordinate mini-project funding, develop a dementia champion network, promote success sharing through case studies and toolkits, and lead evaluation/data efforts using common performance measures.
- Option B: Dementia Caregiver Support and Training Center
- One national awardee will deliver training, resources, services, and technical assistance to support dementia caregivers, focusing on culturally relevant models and leadership development.
Both options require recipients to document emerging practices, participate in regular evaluation, and collaborate with IHS and other stakeholders to advance best practices in dementia care.
