Eligibility information for applicants and organisations
You must be eligible to apply for a Wellcome grant. Read our eligibility criteria for grant applicants.
Applicant eligibility
If you're applying for funding you must:
- be based at an eligible organisation
- meet the eligibility criteria for the individual funding opportunity
We won’t fund you if:
- You intend to carry out activities that involve the transfer of grant funds into mainland China.
- You are applying for, hold or are employed on a research grant from the tobacco industry. Read our statement on researchers funded by the tobacco industry.
We may not be able to fund you if you, anyone associated with your grants, or your grant activities, are:
- the target of international sanctions
- located in a country that is the target of international sanctions
Please read our statement on international sanctions.
If you are concerned about international sanctions affecting your award, please contact us.
Organisational eligibility
Our Early-Career Award, Career Development Award, and Discovery Award funding schemes are open to administering organisations based in the UK, Republic of Ireland as well as those in a low- or middle-income country (except mainland China and India).
Organisations must:
- be a not-for-profit organisation
- be able to sign up to our grant conditions
- have a mission statement that’s broadly in line with Wellcome’s
Organisations must be able to support researchers and their proposed research. This must include facilities and resources required to complete the proposed research, that can’t be requested in the application.
This can be a:
- higher education institution
- research institute
- healthcare organisation
Organisational eligibility criteria for other funding opportunities may be different. Check the individual funding opportunity page for details.
If your organisation is a research institute based in the UK or Republic of Ireland that receives core funding, your application must include a statement from the director of your unit or organisation, confirming that your proposal:
- is not part of any core-funded programme
- has not been refused for funding as part of that core programme
- will not lead to a reduction in your core support
We may ask your organisation to provide more information if they:
- have not received Wellcome funding before
- have not recently received Wellcome funding
We do not make awards to other charities whose sole intention is to redistribute funds.
Contact us
Contact our Funding Information Team if you have a question about funding.
Related content
- Discovery research schemes – Q&As for health professionals
- Eligibility information for applicants and organisations
- Flexible research careers
- Funded people and projects
- Grant conditions
- International sanctions: how they can affect grants
- Low- and middle-income countries
- Why we can't fund activities in mainland China