The Hub Award
The Hub Award brings researchers and creative professionals together at Wellcome Collection to work as a collaborative residency.
Scheme at a glance
- Funding amount:
Flexible funding, up to £1 million
- Funding duration:
One to two years
- Coapplicants:
- Accepted
Key dates
This scheme will be launching later in 2025. Information about the next application round will be announced here when it is available.
Eligibility and suitability
Who can apply
You can apply for The Hub Award if you are part of a group of researchers and creative professionals who want to look at a health-related question in an innovative and experimental way.
Your group must be able to work as a collaborative residency at The Hub, a transdisciplinary research centre at Wellcome Collection in London.
Your project
Your proposed project should challenge how people think and feel about health, and fit with Wellcome's purpose.
We expect you to produce new insights, methodologies and interventions that will either build on existing knowledge or focus on a new field of research.
You should also develop a programme to engage the public with your research.
Examples of proposed activities and outcomes include (but are not limited to):
- contributions to your area of research, for example articles, essays or an impact on health policy or practice
- creative activities, for example new artworks, exhibitions, radio, TV or other engagement activities (at Wellcome Collection or elsewhere)
- methodological innovations
- seminars, workshops, lectures, debates or public talks
- capacity building and training.
Your group
Your group should consist of people from different backgrounds, such as the arts, health and academia.
The number of people in your group should be justifiable for your proposed project. Previously, we've funded groups of four to 10 people. Find out about our current and previous groups.
One member of your group should lead the project. This person will need to spend at least half of their time on the project.
All members of the group should have a good track record in their area of expertise.
Your proposal
In your proposal, you should describe:
- how being based at Wellcome Collection and working with Wellcome teams will benefit your project
- your group’s expertise and what each member will do
- your proposed activities and outcomes
- your intended audience and how you’ll engage with them.
What we offer
The Hub Award is for up to £1 million and can last between one and two years.
You should be able to justify the amount and duration of funding that you ask for.
The award offers a specially designed, flexible space at Wellcome Collection, including quiet areas, meeting and seminar rooms, and access to a recording studio.
The award can be used for a range of activities and research costs, including:
You can ask for overheads if your grant will be based at a:
- university outside the UK or Republic of Ireland
- research organisation that does not receive core funding for overheads
- charitable or not-for-profit organisation
- small or medium-sized commercial organisation.
You can also ask for overheads on any part of your grant that is sub-contracted to any of the organisations listed above.
If you’re based at a UK university you can’t ask for overheads for sub-contracted activity if your university will include the sub-contracted funding in its annual report to the UK Charity Research Support Fund.
Overheads can include:
- estates, for example building and premises
- non-project dedicated administrative and support staff
- administration, for example finance, library, and room hire.
The total cost for overheads should not be more than:
- 20% of the direct research costs if you’re based in a low- or middle-income country
- 15% of the direct research costs if you’re based anywhere else.
These costs must directly support the activity funded by the grant.
How to apply for these costs
In your grant application you must:
- give a full breakdown of costs (you can't ask for a percentage of the research costs)
- explain why these costs are necessary for your research
- include a letter from the finance director of your host organisation, or the sub-contracted organisation, confirming that the breakdown is a true representation of the costs incurred.
You can ask for costs to attend conferences or meetings.
You can also ask for costs to cover caring responsibilities if you or any staff employed on the grant attend a conference. This includes childcare and any other caring responsibility they have, provided:
- Wellcome is paying their salary
- the conference is directly related to the project
- the caring costs are over and above what they'd normally pay for care
- the conference organiser and their employing organisation are unable to cover the costs.
You can ask for up to £1,000 per person for each conference.
You can ask for up to 5% of the total amount you're requesting as contingency.
Your group will be able to contribute to Wellcome Collection's public events and exchange ideas and expertise with our staff.
You can also apply for Research Enrichment funding to increase the impact of your work through activities in open research and diversity and inclusion.
What we don’t offer
It's unlikely that you'll be able to develop your own exhibition for display at Wellcome Collection.
How to apply
Information about the next application round will be announced on this page when it is available.
Stages of application
- Before you apply
Please read The Hub Award FAQs [PDF 139KB] and The Hub Award Grant Conditions [PDF 125KB] before you apply.
You can also watch a short film about The Hub space, and listen to talks from the open day we held in April 2019.
- Create a short video
As part of your preliminary application, you must create a short video about your project and upload it to YouTube or Vimeo. It should be a maximum of five minutes. On the preliminary application form, you’ll be asked to provide the URL to this video.
The video will be an important part of your application – you should use it to bring your project to life. Your ideas for the project are more important than how the video is produced.
The video should cover:
- what your project is, including aims, objectives, background and rationale
- the transdisciplinary nature of your project and why it's innovative and experimental
- who your project team are and how you’ll work together
- why your project is right for The Hub, and how being based at Wellcome Collection and working with Wellcome teams will benefit your project
- your intended audiences
- your proposed outcomes.
We recommend your video is unlisted but not private. Contact us if you have any questions.
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Submit your preliminary application and short video
You must submit your preliminary application through the Wellcome Funding platform.
View the Sample preliminary application form for The Hub Award [PDF 128KB]
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Review and shortlisting
A panel of Wellcome staff will assess your preliminary application.
If you're shortlisted, you'll be asked to develop and submit a full application and attend an interview. You will receive up to £10,000 to develop your full application. For example, to hold team meetings, test ideas and work up your project.
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Submit your full application
Submit your full application form on the Wellcome Funding platform.
View the Sample full application form for The Hub Award [PDF 227KB]
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Interview
The Hub Selection Panel consisting of Wellcome staff and external experts will interview shortlisted groups in The Hub at Wellcome Collection in London.
Disabled applicants
If you are disabled or have a chronic health condition, we can support you with the application process.
Coronavirus (Covid-19)
What you need to know if you're a grant applicant or grantholder.