Wellcome Career Development Awards

Wellcome Career Development Awards

Funds United Kingdom mid-career researchers to expand leadership, interdisciplinary scope, and research impact.

Eligibility · United Kingdom, Ireland

Wellcome Career Development Awards fund mid-career researchers who are already independently leading their own research and are ready to build substantial, innovative programmes aimed at generating significant shifts in understanding or developing new methodologies in health-related science. The scheme runs three times per year; the July 2026 deadline is 28 July 2026 at 15:00 BST. Awards typically last eight years, though duration may be shorter for some disciplines, and part-time holding extends the period proportionally. Annual expenditure is usually below £250,000 excluding the applicant's salary; applications above that threshold receive additional scrutiny. The award covers the grantholder's salary if they hold a fixed-term contract with four years or less remaining; researchers on permanent contracts can only request salary if based in an LMIC and reliant on external funding.

Eligible administering organisations are not-for-profit higher education institutions, research institutes, or healthcare organisations in the UK, Republic of Ireland, or eligible LMICs (excluding India and mainland China). Coapplicants are not accepted; a sponsor and optional mentor are required. The host organisation must commit to either offering the grantholder a permanent contract by the award's end or conducting a formal career review at least two years before completion. Lead applicants must contribute at least 80 percent of their research time to the award and must have been appointed to their current position within the last three years unless exceptional circumstances apply. Staff costs for up to four FTE research assistants or technicians can be requested.

Applications are assessed at interview across research proposal (50%), skills and experience (25%), and research environment (25%). A competitive application demonstrates bold and creative science with clear potential for field-level impact, combined with a track record of independent contributions and evidence of developing other researchers. The award cannot be renewed and only one Career Development Award per researcher is permitted. Current holders of specified mid-career Wellcome fellowships — including Sir Henry Dale Fellowships, Research Career Development Fellowships, and Intermediate Clinical Fellowships — may apply before the end of their existing awards. One resubmission is permitted for unsuccessful applications.