# Career Development Awards

**Funder:** Wellcome
**Budget:** Usually below £250k/year excluding applicant salary
**Duration:** Usually 8 years (may be less for some disciplines; may be longer if part-time)
**Consortium:** No
**Frequency:** Continuous
**Next round:** 2026-07
**Eligible countries:** GB, IE
**Official call:** https://wellcome.org/research-funding/schemes/wellcome-career-development-awards
**Last verified:** 2 August 2026

> **Recently updated:** catalog cleanup 2026-07-04: duplicate row (canonical sibling kept)

## Eligibility & scope

For mid-career researchers ready to lead a substantial research programme. Administering organisation must be in UK, Republic of Ireland, or a low/middle-income country (excluding India and mainland China); must be a not-for-profit HEI, research institute, or healthcare organisation. Applicant must contribute ≥80% research time. Coapplicants not accepted. Any discipline within Wellcome Discovery Research scope.

## Summary

The Wellcome Career Development Award funds mid-career researchers to lead substantial research programmes for up to eight years, with grants usually below £250,000 per year (excluding applicant salary). The award targets researchers in the UK, Republic of Ireland, and eligible low/middle-income countries at not-for-profit institutions, requiring ≥80% research time commitment. Wellcome runs three calls per year, with the next deadline in July 2026.

## Who should apply

- Mid-career researchers ready to establish or expand a substantial independent research programme
- Researchers based at UK or Republic of Ireland HEI, research institutes, or healthcare organisations
- Researchers at not-for-profit institutions in eligible low/middle-income countries (excluding India and mainland China)
- Applicants able to commit ≥80% research time
- Research projects with potential to improve human health fitting Wellcome Discovery Research scope

## Key dates

- Next deadline in July 2026; three calls per year
- Eight-year project duration

## Tips for applicants

- Wellcome requires 80% research time; if your role includes substantial admin or teaching, detail how you will achieve this threshold.
- Single-applicant funding model; co-applicants are not accepted, so structure collaboration through named co-investigators without formal co-grant status.
- Ground your proposal in Wellcome's Discovery Research remit and articulate the health impact pathway explicitly, panels weight this heavily.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does the Wellcome Career Development Award fund?

Usually below £250,000 per year (excluding applicant salary) for an eight-year project duration.

### Who is eligible for the Wellcome Career Development Award?

Mid-career researchers at not-for-profit institutions (HEI, research institutes, healthcare orgs) in the UK, Republic of Ireland, or eligible low/middle-income countries, committed to ≥80% research time.

### How often does Wellcome open the Career Development Award?

Three times per year with rolling deadlines; the next call closes in July 2026.

### Can I apply with co-applicants to the Wellcome Career Development Award?

No, co-applicants are not accepted; you apply as the sole applicant, though you may name collaborators as co-investigators without formal co-grant status.

### What research must fit the Wellcome Career Development Award?

Projects must fit Wellcome Discovery Research scope and have clear potential to improve human health.

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Source: [The Great Grantsby](https://grantsby.eu/grants/wellcome-career-development-awards-2026) — EU grant monitoring for academic researchers. Always verify details on the funder's website before applying.

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