Wellcome Discovery Awards 2026 in UK

This scheme provides funding for established researchers and teams from any discipline who want to pursue bold and creative research ideas to deliver significant shifts in understanding related to human life, health and wellbeing. 

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirments
• Application Documents
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineNovember 25, 2025
• Study LevelPhD
• SponsorWellcome
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

PhD scholarships

• Professional and staff development
• Fieldwork, travel, training, and sustenance
• Supplies, consumables, and machinery
• Costs of clinical and public involvement
• Access fees and overheads
• Foreign allowances and inflation

Requirements

You can apply for a Wellcome Discovery Award if you are a researcher who wants to pursue bold and creative research ideas. You must aim to make a major contribution to your research field by:

• generating significant shifts in understanding

and/or

• developing methodologies, conceptual frameworks, tools or techniques that could benefit health-related research.

An award can be held by an established researcher or a team of researchers led by an established researcher.

If you are applying as a team of researchers

Team size will depend on the proposed research. It will usually range from two to eight applicants, including the lead applicant. The primary location for the research, including the leadership of the programme, must be within the UK, Republic of Ireland and/or a low- and middle-income country.

If you are applying as an individual

You cannot involve coapplicants in your application and award, but you can still work with collaborators.

Whether applying as an individual established researcher who will employ staff through your grant, or as a team of researchers, we encourage lead applicants to put together diverse teams. You will be expected to actively promote a diverse, inclusive and supportive research environment within your team and across your organisation.

Application Documents

As well as answering the application questions, you must provide:

• a letter of support from each organisation (of the lead applicant and any coapplicants)
• a letter of support from the director of finance at the administering organisation or any indirectly funded organisation requesting overheads, confirming the breakdown is a true representation of the costs incurred.

Check also:
Wits-Edinburgh Programme in Sustainable African Futures by Mastercard Foundation 2026-2027
Department of Aeronautics MSc Scholarship at Imperial College London 2026

Application Deadline

How To Apply

Apply for this scheme on the Wellcome Funding platform. You will need to log in or create an account. You can save your application and return to it at any time.

Get some tips to help you write your grant application.

Sample full application form for Wellcome Discovery AwardsStart your application

For more details, visit Wellcome Discovery Awards webpage