Wellcome Career Development Awards 2024 for Mid-Career Researchers in UK, Ireland & Developing countries. Apply below.
When is Application Deadline:
16th November 2023, 17:00 GMT
Table of Contents
Tell Me About Award:
This scheme provides 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 that could improve human life, health and wellbeing.
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Type:
Fellowship
Who can Apply?
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.
During the award, we 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.
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.
Career stage and experience
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 training
- made important contributions to your area of research.
You will probably have experience of working collaboratively. You may have directed, or closely guided, the work of others.
At the point of application, you may also have been appointed to:
- your first permanent, open-ended or long-term rolling contract, or to a tenure track contract. If this applies to you, you cannot ask for your own salary with this award unless you are based in a low- or middle-income country and your contract states you must get salary from external grant funding.
- a fixed term position with four years or less remaining on your contract at the point of application. If this applies to you, you can ask for your own salary with this award. If your contractual circumstances change between the point of application and your award activation you must tell us immediately as this may change your eligibility for salary. We will not normally supplement for salary funds after the award has been made (see our supplementary grant funding page for more information). If after two or more years of your CDA activating your organisation awards you a permanent, open-ended or long-term rolling contract that includes your salary, you will be able to keep the salary element of the award to use towards your remaining research costs.
- a fixed term position with more than four years left on your contract at the point of application. If this applies to you, you cannot ask for your salary with this award and your host organisation must underwrite your salary costs for the duration of the award.
You must be able to contribute at least 80% of your research time to the award. For permanent, open-ended or long-term rolling contracts, you must have been appointed within the last three years unless, during this time, you:
- spent time away from research due to personal circumstances (for example, for a career break, maternity leave, long-term sick leave or a chronic illness)
- worked part-time and research was not part of the role, for example, if you have been employed as a healthcare professional
- changed research discipline, for example, moving from astrophysics to computational neuroscience, or environmental chemistry to social anthropology. There may be some crossover, such as in research sites or techniques, but the shift should still be a significant change.
- were based in a low- or middle-income country where it is normal to be appointed to a permanent, open-ended or long-term rolling contract early in your research career.
If the three-year limit falls between two deadlines for this scheme, and you would benefit from applying to the second deadline, we will allow you to do this.
If you hold a proleptic appointment, you can request your salary costs from Wellcome for the duration of the award.
If you are a health professional, you will have completed your clinical training. If you want to continue with clinical activities, you must be registered with, and licensed by, the relevant professional regulator in the country you intend to work in. Read our Q&As for health professionals.
By the end of the award
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.
Host organisation
You must have sponsorship from an eligible host organisation 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.
Time spent away from research
You can apply if you’ve been away from research (for example a career break, maternity leave, or long-term sick leave). We’ll allow for this when we consider your application.
Depending on your previous career stage and the level of supervision and retraining you need now, you may also want to consider an Early-Career Award.
How are Applicants Selected?
We will review your research proposal, skills and experience, and research environment.
Your research proposal
To be competitive, your research proposal will be:
- Bold. It aims to deliver a significant shift in understanding and/or it provides a significant advance over existing methodologies, conceptual frameworks, tools or techniques. It has the potential to stimulate new and innovative research.
- Creative. Your proposed approach is novel – it develops and tests new concepts, methods or technologies, or combines existing ideas and approaches in a new way.
- High quality. It is well-designed, clear, supported by evidence and the proposed outcomes/outputs are feasible.
Your skills and experience
We will review:
- your research outputs and contributions to the research community
- your experience of, and contribution to, developing other researchers
- your leadership and management skills, and how you plan to develop these during the award.
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
- how you will contribute to a positive and inclusive research culture.
Where will Award be Taken?
UK, Republic of Ireland, Low- or middle-income countries (apart from India and mainland China)
How Many Awards?
Not specified
What is the Benefit of Award?
The award includes:
- A basic salary (determined by your host organisation)
- Staff
- continuing professional development and training
- materials and consumables
- animals
- equipment
- access charges
- overheads
- travel and subsistence
- overseas allowances
- fieldwork expenses
- inflation allowance
- open access charges
- clinical research costs
- public engagement and patient involvement costs
- contract research organisations
- other costs
If you’re awarded this grant
You are guaranteed an endorsement of a Global Talent visa application.
How Long will Award Last?
Usually 8 years, but may be less for some disciplines and may only be longer if held on a part-time basis.
How to Apply:
Read the Application Guidance before applying.
Visit Award Webpage for Details
