Wellcome Discovery Awards
Wellcome Discovery Awards support bold, interdisciplinary research projects worldwide that aim to make transformative advances in human health and wellbeing.
Funder: Wellcome Foundation
Due Dates: November 25, 2025 | March 31, 2026 | September 22, 2026 | February 23, 2027
Funding Amounts: Typical awards: £3.5M average (no formal upper limit, but >£5M subject to extra review); up to 8 years (average 7 years).
Summary: Supports established researchers or teams worldwide to pursue bold, creative research in any discipline that advances understanding or tools for human health and wellbeing.
Key Information: Lead applicant must be based in the UK, Republic of Ireland, or eligible low-/middle-income country (excluding India and mainland China).
Description
The Wellcome Discovery Awards are among the most flexible and ambitious funding opportunities for established researchers and research teams seeking to make transformative advances in human life, health, and wellbeing. The scheme is intentionally broad, welcoming applications from all disciplines—including STEM, clinical and allied health sciences, humanities, social sciences, and public health—provided the research has the potential to generate significant shifts in understanding or to develop innovative methodologies, frameworks, or tools relevant to health.
Awards are open to individuals and teams, with a strong emphasis on bold, creative, and high-quality research. The program encourages diverse, inclusive research environments and particularly welcomes applications from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), except India and mainland China. The assessment process values the novelty and ambition of the proposal, the applicant’s leadership and track record, and the research environment’s capacity to support high-impact work.
