About

The Wellcome Trust is thrilled to seek applications for its Career Development Award Scheme to provide funding for mid-career researchers from any discipline who have the potential to be international research leaders.

They will develop their research capabilities, drive innovative programmes of work and deliver significant shifts in understanding related to human life, health and wellbeing.

Funding Information

• The annual expenditure for a Career Development Award is usually below £250,000 excluding the applicant’s salary. 

Expected Outcomes

• During the award, they expect you to:

  • develop your research capabilities and leadership skills

  • support others to undertake research responsibly and promote a positive and inclusive culture

  • start training the next generation of researchers and develop their research skills and careers.

• By the end of the award, you should have achieved international standing in your area of research.

• You should also have the skills and experience to apply for permanent positions at research organisations.

Ineligibility Criteria

• You are not eligible to apply if:

  • you hold, have held, or have accepted an offer for an equivalent award at this career stage (an exception to this is that their current Wellcome grantholders at an equivalent stage can apply to this scheme)

  • you have applied to this scheme and are waiting for a decision.

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

Eligibility

• You can apply for a Wellcome Career Development Award if you are a mid-career researcher and you are ready to lead a substantial and innovative research programme. You must aim to make a key contribution to your field by:

  • generating significant shifts in understanding and/or

  • developing methodologies, conceptual frameworks, tools or techniques that could benefit health-related research.

• To be eligible, you will already be driving your own research:

  • You must have:

    • completed one or two substantial periods of research after your initial research training

    • made important contributions to your area of research.

• The administering organisation must be in one of the following:

  • UK

  • Republic of Ireland

  • a low or middle-income country (apart from India and mainland China).

• It can be a:

  • higher education institution

  • research institute

  • non-academic healthcare organisation

  • not-for-profit organisation.

Post Date: April 08, 2025