Wellcome Opportunities

The September 2026 Discovery Awards round supports established researchers and teams from any discipline pursuing bold and creative discovery research. Awards can last up to eight years. Wellcome says applicants should request the resources needed and justify them; the average Discovery Award is about £3.5 million, while applications above £5 million receive additional scrutiny. This is not a £5 million maximum. The September 2026 location rules allow eligible administering organisations in the UK, Republic of Ireland and eligible low- and middle-income countries, with exclusions and scheme-specific rules that applicants must check on the official page.

Lead applicants must be established researchers seeking to make a major contribution to their field through significant shifts in understanding and/or new methodologies, frameworks, tools or techniques relevant to health-related research. Awards may be held by an individual or a team led by an established researcher. The administering organisation and applicant must meet Wellcome's current scheme and location eligibility rules.