Wellcome Early-Career Awards

Lead applicants must be based at an eligible nonprofit institution in the UK, Ireland or a low- or middle-income country excluding India and mainland China. From 29 October 2026, the permitted host locations become the UK and listed low- or middle-income countries in Africa, South Asia and South-East Asia.

An individual early-career researcher must have defended a PhD/equivalent, or have at least four years of equivalent original-research experience without having started a PhD. Undergraduate/Master’s research does not count toward that experience. Normally no more than three years of postdoctoral experience is allowed, with adjustments for part-time work, research breaks, clinical training or a significant field change. You must be capable of independent research without close supervision. At least 80% of research time is required; non-research duties are capped at 20%, or clinical duties at 40% for clinical craft specialties. Practising clinicians need local professional registration/licensing. An established sponsor at the administering institution must guarantee resources and support; an additional sponsor is needed for research stays over three months elsewhere. A mentor should also be identified. Coapplicants are not accepted. Existing salaried tenure normally excludes applicants outside low- or middle-income countries; relinquishing it is permitted only for a non-research post. Previous equivalent awards and simultaneous pending applications to this scheme exclude applicants; eligible transitional short-term support cannot exceed three years. The administering institution must meet Wellcome’s grant conditions and provide the required support. Before 29 October 2026 it must be in the UK, Ireland or an eligible low- or middle-income country excluding India and mainland China; from that date only the UK and listed low- or middle-income countries in Africa, South Asia and South-East Asia qualify. Transfers of grant funds into mainland China are excluded. Projects must fit the scheme’s discovery-research remit. Projects first submitted from 1 July 2026 may be considered at most twice across Wellcome schemes; eligible resubmissions need substantial development and normally a 12-month gap after rejection. Read the source for earlier-submission exceptions.

1. Complete the application on Wellcome Funding and send it to the administering organisation’s approver. The organisation must approve and submit it to Wellcome. There is no fixed application deadline; the location rules change on 29 October 2026.