Wellcome Discovery Awards
Wellcome Discovery Awards support creative, multidisciplinary research by established teams in any field to advance knowledge and improve health and wellbeing.
Funder: Wellcome Trust
Due Dates: November 25, 2025 | March 31, 2026 | September 22, 2026 | February 23, 2027
Funding Amounts: Typical award ~£3.5M (average); no formal cap but >£5M undergoes extra scrutiny; up to 8 years' duration.
Summary: Funds ambitious, creative projects led by established researchers or teams in any discipline to advance understanding and improve health.
Key Information: Open to applicants based in the UK, Republic of Ireland, or low-/middle-income countries (except India and mainland China).
Description
The Wellcome Discovery Awards support established researchers or teams led by established researchers to pursue bold, high-quality research projects that aim to make major contributions to their fields. The scheme is open to any discipline—including STEM, medicine, humanities, social sciences, and public health—provided the research has potential to improve human life, health, and wellbeing. Wellcome encourages novel approaches, development of new methodologies or tools, and multidisciplinary or collaborative research. Proposals must demonstrate ambition, creativity, and feasibility, as well as a commitment to positive and inclusive research culture.
