FORM

FORM is a Wellcome Leap program focused on the maternal and infant gut microbiome and its influence on immune and metabolic outcomes in the first years of life. It sits inside Wellcome Leap's broader portfolio of fast-moving health programs and was built as a $50 million effort. Funded projects run for three years. The 2025-2026 solicitation closed on December 29, 2025, with decisions announced on January 28, 2026. The call accepted universities, research institutions, companies, government or nonprofit research organizations, and other legal entities from any jurisdiction, and it used a custom Wellcome Leap submission portal rather than Pegasus. The program suits teams that can connect cohort data, biological mechanism, and translational endpoints rather than isolated experiments. Its thrust structure included work that required summary-table submissions for some cohort studies, which signals a preference for disciplined study design and comparative evidence. Applicants who could show multidisciplinary strength across microbiome biology, pediatric health, and data handling were the best fit.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.