# Accelerator Awards

**Funder:** Wellcome
**Budget:** Salary (if required) + up to £200,000 for project expenses
**Duration:** Up to 2 years
**Consortium:** No - individual applicant; co-applicants not accepted. Collaborators may be involved but cannot receive salary.
**Application:** Single stage
**TRL:** Translational
**Frequency:** Annual - Until 2028
**Eligible countries:** GB
**Official call:** https://wellcome.org/research-funding/schemes/wellcome-accelerator-awards
**Last updated:** 2 Sept 2026

## Eligibility & scope

Open to researchers self-identifying as Black, Bangladeshi, or Pakistani heritage, currently working in or ordinarily resident in the UK, with a UK undergraduate or PhD degree. Must have completed substantive research training. Funds research or research-adjacent activities aligned with Wellcome's Discovery Research remit (human life, health and/or wellbeing). At least 80% research time required. UK administering organisation mandatory.

## Summary

The Wellcome Accelerator Awards fund early-career researchers from Black, Bangladeshi, or Pakistani heritage to pursue discovery research in the UK, with up to £200,000 for project expenses over two years. Applicants must hold an undergraduate or PhD degree from a UK institution and be currently working in or ordinarily resident in the UK; the host organisation must also be UK-based. The scheme runs annually through 2028 and does not permit co-applicants.

## Who should apply

- Early-career researchers self-identifying as Black, Bangladeshi, or Pakistani heritage
- Researchers with an undergraduate or PhD degree from a UK institution
- Currently working in or ordinarily resident in the UK
- Host organisation based in the UK
- Discovery research projects or research-adjacent activities aligned with Wellcome's remit

## Key dates

- Check scheme page for current deadline (annual call)
- Single-stage application
- Up to two-year project duration

## Tips for applicants

- No co-applicants allowed, this is an individual award; design your team around collaboration letters from partners rather than formal co-PI structures.
- Heritage self-identification is the entry criterion; centre your statement on your research ambition and fit with Wellcome's Discovery Research remit, not your background.
- Two years is tight; scope your project tightly and foreground early milestones to demonstrate momentum.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does the Wellcome Accelerator Award pay?

Up to £200,000 for project expenses over two years; salary costs may also be included depending on your host institution's policy.

### Who is eligible for the Wellcome Accelerator Award?

Researchers self-identifying as Black, Bangladeshi, or Pakistani heritage, holding an undergraduate or PhD degree from a UK institution, currently working in or ordinarily resident in the UK, with a UK-based host organisation.

### Can I have co-applicants on a Wellcome Accelerator Award?

No, the award is for an individual researcher; co-applicants are not accepted.

### How long does a Wellcome Accelerator Award last?

Up to two years.

### Is the Wellcome Accelerator Award recurring?

Yes, the scheme runs as an annual call through 2028.

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Source: [The Great Grantsby](https://grantsby.eu/grants/wellcome-accelerator-awards) — EU grant monitoring for academic researchers. Always verify details on the funder's website before applying.

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