The Wellcome Discovery Awards support ambitious, creative research programmes that aim to transform understanding of human life, health, and wellbeing. The scheme is designed for established researchers and multidisciplinary teams pursuing bold ideas that could lead to major advances in their fields.
Program Overview: Wellcome Discovery
- Opportunity Type: Research Grant
- Organizer: Wellcome
- Target Audience: Established researchers and multidisciplinary research teams
- Team Size: Individual applicants or teams of 2–8 researchers
- Eligible Nationalities: International / Global
- Age Limit: No specific age limit stated
- Education Requirement: Relevant research qualifications and experience appropriate to the proposed research
- Work Experience: Intended primarily for established researchers with the expertise to lead ambitious research programmes
- Nomination Required: No
- University Admission: Not required
- Funding: Up to £5 million, with awards averaging approximately £3.5 million
- Application Fee: £0
- Location: Research conducted through eligible institutions/organisations
- Deadline: 22 September 2026
What Does the Discovery Award Support?
The Discovery Awards are intended for bold and creative research that could generate a significant shift in understanding human life, health, and wellbeing.
Research may include:
- Fundamental discovery research
- Development of new research methodologies
- Development of innovative tools and technologies
- Multidisciplinary research programmes
- High-risk, high-reward scientific ideas
The programme is particularly suited to researchers pursuing questions that could open up new areas of discovery, rather than incremental extensions of existing work.
Funding & Duration
The award provides substantial, flexible research funding.
- Average award: Approximately £3.5 million
- Maximum request: Proposals requesting more than £5 million receive additional scrutiny
- Duration: Up to 8 years
- Typical duration: Around 7 years
- Eligible costs: Research staff, research activities, equipment, resources, and other eligible costs necessary to deliver the proposed programme
Who Can Apply?
The programme can be particularly relevant to:
- Established researchers
- Principal investigators
- Independent researchers
- Multidisciplinary research teams
- Researchers developing new scientific methodologies or tools
Applicants should have the appropriate research track record, expertise, and institutional support required to undertake a large-scale research programme.
Can International Researchers Apply?
Yes, the opportunity is not limited to researchers from the UK.
With the deadline approaching, eligible researchers and teams should begin preparing their proposals and institutional approvals early.
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