Wellcome Career Development Awards — Fellowship

Wellcome Career Development Awards back researchers who are ready to step up and lead their own substantial research programme. Wellcome (the UK health-research foundation) supports work from any discipline as long as it advances understanding of human life, health and wellbeing. Awardees are based at an eligible host institution in the UK, Ireland, or a low- or middle-income country (China and India excluded) and hold funding for up to eight years to build a team and establish research independence.

There are no citizenship restrictions. From 25 August 2026 the scheme moves to a rolling, always-open model with no fixed deadlines.

Benefits & funding

Salary for the award holder plus salaries for research staff, for up to eight years (shorter for some disciplines; longer only if held part-time).
Research expenses — typical annual spend is below £250,000 excluding the applicant’s salary — covering consumables, equipment, animal and clinical costs, fieldwork, travel and subsistence.
Support for leadership training, professional development, and open-access publication charges.
Institutional overheads where applicable.

Eligibility

Mid-career researchers who have completed one or two substantial periods of research after their initial training and made important contributions to their field.
May be within the first few years of a first independent research appointment.
Must be based at an eligible research institution in the UK, Ireland, or a low- or middle-income country (China and India excluded).
Open to any discipline connected to human life, health and wellbeing.
No citizenship or nationality restrictions.

Can you apply?

Here's who can apply

Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.

Education required
PhD

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Application process

1
Confirm eligibility and secure support from an eligible host institution.
2
Submit the application through the Wellcome Funding platform.
3
Eligibility and scientific review by Wellcome and its advisory group.
4
Written expert (peer) review.
5
Interview at Wellcome in London for shortlisted candidates; final decision by Wellcome’s research decision board.

Program timeline

Final deadline for the current fixed-deadline round.
28 July 2026, 15:00 BST
Scheme reopens as always-open, with no fixed deadlines.
25 August 2026
Shortlisting for the current round.
October 2026
Interviews for the current round.
19–21 January 2027