Call for Nominations: Wellcome Discovery Awards

Call for Nominations: Wellcome Discovery Awards

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 wellbeing.

Where the host organisation of the lead applicant is based:

UK, Republic of Ireland, Low- or middle-income countries (apart from India and mainland China)
Level of funding:

You should ask for the resources you need for your research programme – see the 'What we offer' section on this page. You will need to justify this in your application.

Duration of funding:

Usually 8 years, but may be less for some disciplines, and may only be longer if held on a part-time basis.

Eligibility and suitability

Who can apply, who can't apply, what's expected of your host organisation

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.

You will be expected to actively promote a diverse, inclusive and supportive research environment within your team and across your organisation.

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.

Lead applicant

Whether you are applying as the sole applicant or the lead applicant for a team, you must have:

International standing as a research leader in your field

Experience of leading innovative and creative research

A track record of managing and training others.

If you are the lead applicant for a team, you must also be able to demonstrate you can drive and lead a substantial collaborative research programme.

You must be able to contribute at least 20% of your research time to the programme.

You must be based at an eligible host organisation that can sign up to our grant conditions. It must be in one of the following:

UK

Republic of Ireland

A low- or middle-income country (apart from India and mainland

China).

It must be a not-for-profit organisation. It can be a:

Higher education institution

Research institute

Non-academic healthcare organisation

Charity or social enterprise.

Your skills and experience (applicants and co applicants)

We will review:

Your research outputs and contributions to the research community

Your previous contributions to, and plans for, developing team members and other researchers

Your leadership and management skills, and how you plan to develop these during the award

How the programme will be managed and led
your rationale for a team approach, team composition (including your approach to diversity, inclusion and career stage) and the contribution of each team member.

Your research environment

We will review:

How you will contribute to the strategic aims of your organisation

How your research environment(s) will help you develop your research capabilities, and leadership and management skills

Your experience of, and plans for, contributing to a positive and inclusive research culture.

Who can't apply

You are not eligible to apply as a lead applicant on a Discovery Award if you are the lead applicant on two other Discovery Award applications and you are waiting for a decision.

You cannot apply if you intend to carry out activities that involve the transfer of grant funds into mainland China.

What's expected of your host organisation
You must be based at an eligible organisation that can sign up to our grant conditions.

We expect organisations based in the UK to meet the responsibilities required by the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers for institutions, managers and researchers.

Any organisation with Wellcome funding that is based outside the UK is expected, at a minimum, to follow the principles of the Concordat.

We also expect your host organisation to:

Guarantee that the space and resources you need have been agreed and will be made available to you from the start date through to the end date of your award.

Explain how your research fits with the strategic aims of the organisation.

Give you, and any staff employed on the grant, 10 days a year (pro rata if part-time) to undertake training and continuing professional development (CPD) in line with the Concordat. This should include the responsible conduct of research, research leadership, people management, diversity and inclusion, and the promotion of a healthy research culture.

Provide a system of onboarding, embedding and planning for you when you join the organisation and/or start the award.

How to Apply

For more information and job application details, see; Call for Nominations: Wellcome Discovery Awards