People working on a Wellcome grant

Information for grantholders and administering organisations about their responsibilities towards people working on a Wellcome grant.

What we expect from the organisations we fund 

We expect all organisations we fund to:

  • comply with their policies and codes of practice when recruiting people
  • issue contracts to people working on the grant
  • make sure everyone involved with the grant receives appropriate training (this includes temporary staff and students)
  • make sure everyone working on the grant follows the grant conditions
  • pay everyone on the grant at or above the real Living Wage (Wellcome is a Living Wage Funder)
  • pay any severance or redundancy payments.

Wellcome does not employ anyone funded on our grants.

Wellcome-funded fellows 

We provide the cost of employing a fellow for the period of the grant.

The administering organisation should decide the fellow's salary. Read the costs information in the funding scheme you're applying for to find out what this includes.

Wellcome fellows on a full-time contract should not spend more than an average of eight hours a week on non-research activities such as:

  • teaching
  • clinical work
  • advisory committees
  • external consultancies.

All fellows and staff whose research involves contact with patients must have an appropriate honorary research contract.

Wellcome-funded students 

We pay a salary for clinical students funded by our grants. This is decided by the administering organisation.

We pay a stipend for all other students funded by our grants.

Other people working on a Wellcome grant 

We provide the cost of employing staff for the period of the grant.

Read the costs information in the funding scheme you're applying for to find out what this includes.

If you're a fellow, you can't employ anyone beyond your grant’s end date.

If you have a replacement lecturer for the entire period of your grant, they must take up their appointment no later than one year after you start your grant.

Unless we've specifically asked for this information in your award letter, you don't need to tell us:

  • about the appointment of postholders to unnamed posts
  • if you replace someone named in your award letter.

Additional costs we'll cover for people working on a Wellcome grant 

More information 

Contact us 

Contact our Funding Information Advisers if you have a question about funding.

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