# Discovery Award

**Funder:** Wellcome
**Budget:** Average £3.5M; applications above £5M subject to additional scrutiny
**Deadline:** 22 September 2026 (Current round closes on 22 September 2026 at 15:00 BST. Continuous applications begin on 23 September 2026, without deadlines.)
**Duration:** Usually 8 years (may be shorter for some disciplines)
**Consortium:** Optional — can apply as individual established researcher or as a team of 2-8 applicants led by an established researcher
**Application:** Single stage: full application → shortlisting (November 2026) → interviews (9–11 March 2027)
**Frequency:** Annual
**Next round:** 2026-09
**Eligible countries:** GB, IE
**Official call:** https://wellcome.org/research-funding/schemes/wellcome-discovery-awards
**Last updated:** 13 Sept 2026

> **Recently updated:** catalog cleanup 2026-07-04: budget copied from duplicate sibling

## Eligibility & scope

Funding for established researchers or teams (2-8 applicants) to pursue bold, creative research in any discipline (STEM, humanities, social science, clinical/health) to shift understanding of human life, health and wellbeing. Administering organisation must be a not-for-profit in the UK, Republic of Ireland, or a low/middle-income country (excluding India and mainland China); grant funds cannot be transferred to mainland China. Location rules change for submissions from 29 October 2026: check the current funder requirements for the UK and eligible low- and middle-income countries in Africa, South Asia and South-East Asia.

## Summary

The September 2026 Discovery Awards round closes on 22 September. The scheme funds established researchers and teams working on questions relevant to health.

## Key dates

- Current round: 22 September 2026, 15:00 BST.
- Continuous applications from 23 September 2026.
- Location eligibility changes on 29 October 2026; submissions through 28 October use the earlier rules.

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Source: [The Great Grantsby](https://grantsby.eu/grants/wellcome-discovery-awards-2026-09) — EU grant monitoring for academic researchers. Always verify details on the funder's website before applying.

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