Applications open for Wellcome Discovery Award Scheme

The Wellcome Discovery Awards provide research funding for established researchers and teams from any discipline to pursue bold and creative ideas that can drive significant shifts in understanding related to human life, health, and wellbeing. There are no application deadlines—applications can be submitted at any time. The average Discovery Award size is £3.5 million, and awards can last up to 8 years. Opportunity at a Glance

- Funding opportunity name: Wellcome Discovery Awards

- Funding provider: Wellcome (administering organisation requirements apply)

- Opportunity type: Research grant scheme

- Lead applicant career stage: Established researcher

- Application frequency: Apply anytime (no deadlines)

- Funding amount (guidance):

- Average size: £3.5 million

- Applications above £5 million: subject to additional scrutiny

- Applicants should ask for the resources needed and justify them in the application

- Funding duration:

- Up to 8 years (may be less for some disciplines) - May be longer if held on a part-time basis

- Average duration: 7 years (supported awards range from 3 to 8 years)

- Coapplicants: Accepted

- Eligible administering organisation locations (changing):

- Current: UK, Republic of Ireland, and low- or middle-income countries apart from India and mainland China

- Change from 29 October 2026: only accept applications from lead applicants based at eligible administering organisations in the UK and low- and middle-income countries in Africa, South Asia and South-East Asia - Applications submitted on or before 28 October 2026 will be assessed under current location eligibility requirements

- Deadline: No deadlines (applications can be submitted at any time)

About the Opportunity

The Wellcome Discovery Awards support established researchers and teams aiming to pursue bold and creative research ideas. The scheme is designed for proposals that can deliver major contributions to a research field, including: - 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 by a team of researchers led by an established researcher. Funding and Benefits Wellcome Discovery Awards are designed to fund the resources needed for the proposed research programme. Key funding details from the scheme page include:

- Amount requested: Applicants should request the resources they need and justify this in the application.

- Average award size: £3.5 million

- Higher-value applications: Applications above £5 million will be subject to additional scrutiny.

- Duration: Awards can be up to 8 years, with an average duration of 7 years.

- Part-time option: Awards may be longer if held on a part-time basis.

- Salary support (where applicable): The scheme includes specific rules for salary requests for lead applicants (and coapplicants) depending on contract type and whether salary is obtained from external grant funding. (See eligibility sections for details.) Who Is Eligible? Eligible lead applicants You can apply if you are a researcher who wants to pursue bold and creative research ideas and must aim to make a major contribution to your field by either: - generating significant shifts in understanding, and/or - developing methodologies, conceptual frameworks, tools, or techniques that could benefit health-related research Whether applying as an individual or leading a team, the lead applicant must have: - International standing as a research leader in your field - Experience of leading innovative and creative research - A track record of managing and training others

- If leading a team: ability to drive and lead a substantial collaborative research programme

Contract requirements for lead applicants At the point of application, you should have a: - permanent, open-ended, or long-term rolling contract, or - guarantee of one The contract should not be conditional on receiving the award. Your salary must be paid by your administering organisation for the duration of the award. If you have less than three years remaining on your contract at the point of application, you must have secured your next position at an eligible organisation and provide a letter of support from them. Lead applicants based in low- or middle-income countries If you are based in a low- or middle-income country, you can ask for a contribution to your salary if: - you hold a permanent/open-ended/long-term rolling contract, and - you have to get your salary from external grant funding Time away from research You can apply if you have been away from research (for example, career break, parental leave, or long-term sick leave). Wellcome states it will allow for this when considering your application. Retired lead applicants If you are retired, you are eligible if, for the duration of any award: - the administering organisation guarantees you the space and resources required, and - you will hold an appointment with the administering organisation (for example, an emeritus contract) that can’t be conditional on receiving an award Retired applicants cannot request salary support. Coapplicants - Coapplicants can be at any career stage and based anywhere in the world apart from mainland China. - Each coapplicant must make a significant and essential contribution to the proposed research (for example, leading a strand or managing the programme). - Coapplicants are expected to be involved in designing the research and preparing the application, and the added value of the team approach must be clear. - Coapplicants must be based at an eligible organisation that can sign up to Wellcome’s grant conditions. Collaborators Collaborators support delivery but do not lead a component of the research. They: - do not have to meet eligibility requirements - are not required to give a minimum research time commitment - cannot receive a salary or compensation for time on the proposed project - may ha