What we don't fund

Although we fund a wide range of activities, there are some things we don't fund.

In general, we don't fund:

scientific research outside our remit
project or research costs you've already incurred
costs to top up individual grants already awarded by another funder
standalone travel or conference costs (although you can ask for them as part of a wider grant application)
healthcare for patients
the building of hospitals
other charities if their sole intention is to redistribute the funds
humanitarian aid or charities who give out humanitarian aid
people who are applying for, hold, or are employed on a research grant from the tobacco industry.

Master's and PhD courses

We don't fund the costs of Master's courses or PhD studentships unless you are:

Find out more about our postgraduate training in biomedical science, population health and humanities and social science.

a postgraduate research assistant or technician employed on a Wellcome grant and doing a course that's related to the project being funded.

We don't provide:

additional funding to complete a Master's or PhD if you've already started your course
contributions towards the cost of a PhD that isn't funded by us, such as living costs, travel and conference fees, and research costs.

We don't fund undergraduate courses. Our only scheme for undergraduates is the Biomedical Vacation Scholarship.

If you're not sure if you can apply, or have general queries about grants, contact our information officers: