Aged Care Research & Industry Innovation Australia (ARIIA) is delivering on its commitment to drive improvements in aged care with the announcement of 10 new Accelerator Grant recipients -- Successful grants include wearable tech for better dementia care, AI-powered palliative assessments, and new approaches for aged care of Aboriginal people.
The Accelerator Grant funding is delivered through ARIIA’s Aged Care Collaborative with the support of the Commonwealth Government and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and builds on the $16.9 million ARIIA has already invested in translational research to drive innovation across the sector.
Evidence-based research that moves the dial
ARIIA Chief Executive Officer, Reuben Jacob said the 2025 Accelerator Grants will fund the expansion of new approaches with the best evidence of success.
“ARIIA is committed to moving the dial on improvements in Australian aged care provision by boosting innovation across the industry.
“Since ARIIA began in 2021 we have invested $16.9 million -- including $7.7 million from sector co-contributions in targeted, transformational programs to assist the aged care sector to drive change. Together with this year’s new Accelerator Grants and Flagship Project Grants, which will be announced shortly, we will boost this by another $3 million in grant funding and $3 million in sector co-contribution. This will facilitate the roll out of new approaches, encouraging the use of novel technology solutions, better data management and information sharing, as well as new workforce approaches to improve care for our ageing population.”
ARIIA Program and Research Director, Dr Rebecca Bilton said this year’s field of grant applications was extremely competitive. Dr Bilton said those selected won the funding based on the novelty of the innovations proposed, the fit with sector need, and the likelihood of translating these solutions into real-life contexts nationally.
“Above all else we want to make sure that our funding delivers results for the sector. Many of our previous grant winners have already commercialised or scaled their projects and are delivering solutions that transform the ways aged care providers manage and deliver their services and enhance their quality of care.”
“The ARIIA Accelerator Grants are also about an investment in workforce capability to augment the way care is delivered or where it is delivered. We need to support a new kind of aged care workforce that is flexible, agile and empowered. This can only come from a sector-wide culture of collaboration and innovation.”
Wearable tech and dementia care solutions lead the way
This year’s projects include wearable tech powered by AI allowing better monitoring of health conditions and behaviour by care workers to ensure better levels of care, especially for those living independently. Several collaborations will also look at better dementia support in the community. These projects include music technology devices to help regulate emotional responses and utilising allied health programs in regional areas to help those just diagnosed. Other projects will examine more intuitive and respectful care responses for Aboriginal people in aged care, as well as those from diverse backgrounds. Notably, seventy per cent of recipients will be implementing innovations in rural and/or regional locations.
ARIIA Senior Manager, Strategic Projects, Holly Sparrow said the wide range of selected grant recipients has the potential to lead the world in aged care solutions.
“We need to be bold in the push for transformation in aged care services, and the impressive applications we received demonstrate the many opportunities to develop innovative, person-centered approaches that deliver a better experience for older people, no matter where they live.
“The diverse perspectives of the Accelerator Grants Independent Assessment Panel have culminated in a truly well-rounded selection of transformative projects.”
Grant recipients
The successful 2025 Aged Care Collaborative Accelerator Grant projects can be viewed here:
- Goldilocks Suit in partnership with ECH Inc, University of Adelaide, ThincLab, Shenzhen Qingather Biotechnology for the project ‘Enhancing Quality and Access to Specialist Dementia Care Through Goldilocks Technology’.
- The University of Melbourne in partnership with the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network for the project ‘Music Attuned Technology to predict and treat agitation in people with moderate to severe dementia’.
- La Trobe University in partnership with Sunraysia Community Health Services, Monash Health, Jacaranda Village and Regis Mildura Aged Care for the project ‘AI-Powered Palliative Care Assessment Tool (PCAT) for Aged Care Workforce Support’.
- Harbison Memorial Retirement Village in partnership with the University of Canberra and University of Technology Sydney to implement a post-diagnostic allied health program run by a rural aged care provider for people in the community with dementia.
- University of Tasmania in partnership with Emmerton Park for the project ‘Deepening connections: Cultural storytelling at the heart of respectful and safe care for Aboriginal people in residential care’.
- Australian Multicultural Community Services in partnership with Swinburne University of Technology for the project ‘Empowering CALD Home Care with AI: Minimising Paperwork, Maximising Workforce Capacity’.
- Bolton Clarke in partnership with Queensland University of Technology to implement an aged care context-specific digital decision support tool to enable best-practice.
- University of the Sunshine Coast in partnership with Suncare Community Services, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing and University of California, Davis to deliver Homeara+: EnhancingHealth Smart Home Monitoring with Machine Learning to Support Ageing in Place and Regional Aged Care Workforce.
- Deakin University in partnership with La Trobe University and Sundale for the project ‘Identifying and reducing stress and job turnover in aged care workers using an innovative virtual-reality approach’.
- Sound Scouts in partnership with Whiddon, Hearing Australia and Macquarie University for the implementation of the Sound Scouts Hearing Screening technology in regional Australia.