The Wellcome Early-Career Awards support early-career researchers from all disciplines who are ready to develop their research identity. The awards enable innovative projects that aim to deliver shifts in understanding related to human life, health, and wellbeing. By the end of the award, recipients will be prepared to lead their own independent research programs.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible, applicants must be early-career researchers ready to design and deliver their own innovative research project. The project should aim to advance understanding in their field or develop methodologies that benefit health-related research. Applicants should be able to demonstrate a good understanding of research methodology and evidence of project delivery and analysis.

Specific requirements include having completed a PhD (or equivalent) or possessing at least four years of equivalent research experience. Postdoctoral experience should generally be no more than three years at the application deadline, with allowances for career breaks or changes in research discipline. Applicants must commit at least 80% of their research time to the proposed project.

• Applicants must have completed a substantive period of research training relevant to their discipline.
• Health professionals must be registered and licensed by the relevant professional regulator in their country.
• Applicants based in low- or middle-income countries may hold a permanent contract.

Funding Details

The award provides the applicant's salary and up to £400,000 for research expenses. Certain costs, such as overheads and overseas allowances, do not count towards this limit. The funding duration is typically 5 years, but may be shorter for some disciplines or longer if held part-time.

The funding covers a range of expenses, including salary, staff costs, relocation allowance, materials, equipment, and travel. It also supports continuing professional development, open access charges, and public engagement activities. If, after two or more years from your Early-Career Award activation date your organization awards you a permanent contract that includes your salary, you will be able to keep the salary element of the award to use towards your remaining research costs.

Co-applicants are not accepted, but during an Early-Career Award, you can be a coapplicant on one other Wellcome award. Note that the award cannot be renewed, and applicants can only hold one Early-Career Award.

Eligible Organizations and Research Scope

The administering organization must be based in the UK, Republic of Ireland, or a low- or middle-income country (excluding India and mainland China). It must be a not-for-profit entity, such as a higher education institution or research institute. Wellcome expects the administering organization to provide the awardee with the status and benefits of other academic staff of similar seniority.

The research must fit within Wellcome's Discovery Research scope and have the potential to improve human life, health, and wellbeing. Research can be in any discipline, including STEM, humanities, and social sciences. The research must not start earlier than seven months after the application deadline.

Applicants are encouraged to choose a research environment that provides appropriate training, resources, and experience. Moving away from the current research environment is encouraged but not essential.

Application and Assessment Process

Applications are submitted via the Wellcome Funding platform. The application requires letters of support from the applicant's supervisor and, if applicable, clinical training supervisor. The application process involves eligibility checks, shortlisting, written expert review, and interviews.

The assessment criteria include the research proposal (50%), the applicant's skills and experience (25%), and the research environment (25%). The research proposal should be bold, creative, and of high quality. The applicant should demonstrate strong research skills and the ability to develop management skills. The research environment should support the applicant's development and contribute to a positive research culture.

Final funding decisions are made by the Discovery Research Decision Board. Applicants will receive notification of the decision and feedback on their application.

Key Dates and Deadlines

The application deadline for the upcoming round is 22 May 2025, 17:00 BST. Shortlisting will occur in July 2025, and interviews are scheduled for 14-16 October 2025. Late applications will not be accepted.

Applications open on 27 February 2025. Applicants should allow sufficient time for their organization to review and submit the application before the deadline. If this is the organization's first time applying, they will need to request an organization account from Wellcome.

Applicants can resubmit an unsuccessful application once, provided significant changes are made. There is no need to contact Wellcome before resubmitting.

Potential Research Topics

This grant supports a wide range of research areas. Here are some potential topics that could be relevant:

• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
• Advanced Material Science for Biomedical Applications
• Innovative Approaches in Life Science Research
• Novel Drug Discovery and Development
• Microbiology and Infectious Disease Research
• Public Health Interventions and Policy