Wellcome Career Development Awards
Wellcome Career Development Awards fund mid-career researchers to lead innovative, independent research advancing understanding of human life, health, and wellbeing in any discipline.
Funder: Wellcome Foundation
Due Dates: July 28, 2026 | November 17, 2026 | April 13, 2027 | July 24, 2025 (closed) | November 20, 2025 (closed) | March 26, 2026 (closed)
Funding Amounts: Typically up to £250,000/year (excluding PI salary) for up to 8 years; total award size varies by project needs.
Summary: Supports mid-career researchers to lead innovative, independent research advancing understanding of human life, health, and wellbeing in any discipline.
Key Information: From October 29, 2026, eligibility will be limited to applicants based in the UK or low- and middle-income countries in Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
Description
The Wellcome Career Development Awards provide substantial, long-term funding to empower mid-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to lead ambitious, independent research programmes. The scheme is designed to enable researchers to make significant contributions to their fields, develop new methodologies, frameworks, tools, or techniques, and deliver transformative shifts in understanding related to human life, health, and wellbeing. The award is open to researchers based in the UK, Republic of Ireland, or eligible low- and middle-income countries (excluding India and mainland China), and supports a diverse range of research environments and disciplines, including STEM, humanities, social sciences, and public health. Recipients are expected to foster inclusive research cultures, mentor early-career researchers, and contribute to the strategic aims of their host institutions.
