Published: 04 May 2023 815 views
This scheme provides funding for early-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity. Through innovative projects, they will deliver shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing. By the end of the award, they will be ready to lead their own independent research programme.
Wellcome exists to improve health by helping great ideas to thrive. They support researchers, we take on big health challenges, we campaign for better science, and we help everyone get involved with science and health research. Wellcome is a politically and financially independent foundation. Their founder, Sir Henry Wellcome, was a medical entrepreneur, collector and philanthropist. How they work today reflects the breadth of his interests, and his conviction that health can be improved when research generates, tests and investigates new ideas. Their governance is based on an updated version ... continue reading
A Wellcome Early-Career Award provides a salary for the grantholder and up to £400,000 for research expenses. If you are eligible to request overheads or overseas allowances, we won't count these against the £400,000 limit for research expenses.
The award usually lasts for 5 years, but may be less for some disciplines, such as humanities and social science.
The award may be held on a part-time basis. We will extend the duration of the award to reflect this.
You should ask for a level and duration of funding that’s justifiable for your proposed research.
You can only hold one of these awards. We do not offer renewals.
You are guaranteed an endorsement of a Global Talent visa application.
If your host organisation is in the UK and you have team members who will spend at least 50% of their working time contributing to the award, they may be eligible to apply for a Global Talent visa through the endorsed funder route.
See 'Other costs' for the costs we will and will not provide.
You can apply to this scheme if you are an early-career researcher and you are ready to design, plan and deliver your own innovative research project that aims to:
and/or
During the award, we expect you to:
Your research can be in any discipline – including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), experimental medicine, humanities and social science, clinical/allied health sciences, and public health – as long as it has the potential to improve human life, health and wellbeing, and aligns with our funding remit.
Career stage and experience
At the point you submit your application, you must have completed a substantive period of research training relevant to your discipline.
You must have:
You can apply if you hold a permanent, open-ended or long term rolling contract and are based in a low- or middle-income country. All other eligibility criteria apply.
You may also have some postdoctoral experience in your proposed field of study, but no more than three years unless you can demonstrate how other factors have impacted on your research career. When we review how much postdoctoral experience you have, we will allow for part-time work, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, career breaks (for example, parental leave or long-term sick leave) and other significant amounts of time spent outside research (for example, clinical training).
We will also consider whether you have changed research discipline. For example, moving from astrophysics to computational neuroscience. There may be some crossover, such as in research sites or techniques, but the shift should still be a significant change.
We consider postdoctoral experience as any periods spent in research after you passed your PhD/higher research degree viva.
You should be able to demonstrate:
You should not spend more than 20% of your time on non-research related activities, for example clinical duties, teaching or administration. If you’re based in a clinical craft specialty, you may spend up to 40% of your time on clinical duties.
You should not need close supervision to complete your proposed research, although you may need training in new techniques and experimental approaches.
If you are a health professional and you want to continue with clinical activities, you must be registered with, and be licensed by, the relevant professional regulator in the country you intend to work in. Read our Q&As for health professionals.
By the end of the award
By the end of the award, you should have the research maturity to develop, manage and lead your own creative, independent research programme.
If you decide not to pursue a career in research, you’ll have transferable skills that you can use in roles related to research or outside of research, for example in industry or teaching.
Host organisation
You must have sponsorship from an eligible host organisation in one of the following:
It can be a:
You should choose a research environment that provides you with the appropriate training, resources and experience to deliver your project and develop your research skills and identity. We encourage you to move away from your current research environment. This may mean moving from your group or department, but it is not essential to move organisations.
Time spent away from research
You can apply if you've spent time away from research (for example a career break, maternity leave, or long-term sick leave). We'll allow for this when we consider your application.
Depending on your previous career stage and the level of supervision and retraining you need now, you may also want to consider a Career Development Award.
Resubmissions
If you are unsuccessful with an application to this scheme, you can submit one more application for the same project. Significant changes are needed for the second application. You do not need to contact us first.
Other Wellcome awards
During an Early-Career Award, you can be a coapplicant on one other Wellcome award.
Assessment criteria
We will review your research proposal, skills and experience, and research environment.
Where your host organisation is based:
UK, Republic of Ireland, Low- or middle-income countries (apart from India and mainland China)
Duration of funding:
Usually 5 years, but may be less for some disciplines, and may only be longer if held on a part-time basis
May 2023 round
OPEN TO NEW APPLICATIONS
28 March 2023: Applications open
18 May 2023, 17:00 BST: Application deadline
July 2023: Shortlisting
17-19 October 2023: Interviews
October 2023 round
OPENING SOON
19 May 2023: Applications open
05 October 2023, 17:00 BST: Application deadline
December 2023: Shortlisting
12-14 March 2024: Interviews
Sample full application form for Wellcome Early-Career AwardsPDF 1.9 MB
Go to Wellcome on funding.wellcome.org to apply
Log in to our online grants system (Wellcome Funding). You can save your application and return to it any time.
Watch our webinar for early-career researchers to hear about our goals for Discovery Research at Wellcome.
