This scheme provides funding for established researchers and teams from any discipline who want to pursue bold and creative research ideas to deliver significant shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and well-being.
Your research can be in any discipline – including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), experimental medicine, humanities and social science, clinical/allied health sciences, and public health – as long as it has the potential to improve human life, health and wellbeing, and aligns with our funding remit.
The research can be in a single discipline or multidisciplinary.
An award can be held by an established researcher or a team of researchers led by an established researcher.
Eligibility: You can apply for a Wellcome Discovery Award if you are a researcher who wants to pursue bold and creative research ideas. You must aim to make a major contribution to your research field by:
- generating significant shifts in understanding
and/or
- developing methodologies, conceptual frameworks, tools or techniques that could benefit health-related research.
Level of funding: A Wellcome Discovery Award provides funding for research expenses. The award usually lasts for 8 years, but may be less for some disciplines, such as humanities and social science. The award may be held on a part-time basis. The duration of the award will be extended to reflect this. You should ask for a level and duration of funding that’s appropriate for your proposed research. You will need to justify these costs in your grant application.
Additional information: The award does not include salary costs for the lead applicant.
Key dates
- 21 November 2023: deadline for application at 17:00 pm BST
- February 2024: shortlisting
- 07-09 May 2024: interviews