Research Enrichment – Diversity and Inclusion (Closed)

Who can apply

You can apply for Research Enrichment – Diversity and Inclusion funding if you have a proposal for activities to advance diversity and inclusion practices in your work and your work environment.

You must be:

• a current Wellcome-funded grantholder

or

• a successful applicant to one of our schemes – you've received an award confirmation letter.

In both cases, you must be the lead applicant.

All of our funding schemes are eligible for Research Enrichment – Diversity and Inclusion funding, apart from the following: ​

• Biomedical Vacation Scholarships
• Doctoral Studentships
• Engagement Fellowships
• Four-year PhD Studentships in Science
• International Master's Fellowships
• Master's Studentships in Humanities and Social Science
• PhD Training Fellowships for Clinicians
• Seed Awards in Humanities and Social Science
• Seed Awards in Science
• Small Grants in Humanities and Social Science

You must be able to complete your proposed activities by the end date of your main Wellcome grant. 

Your proposal

Your proposed activities should include opportunities for you to:

• increase knowledge and understanding of diversity and inclusion
• tackle the specific diversity and inclusion challenges facing your team, department and/or organisation.    

The activities we support can take many forms, including ways to:

• make your work environment more inclusive, for example by producing good practice toolkits and guidance for colleagues, organising diversity and inclusion training, or consulting with a specialist for advice
• support underrepresented groups in your field, for example by supporting staff networks or providing tailored mentorship and training
• consider diversity throughout the lifecycle of your research, for example by looking at how to consult a range of people while you’re planning, doing and evaluating your work
• organise inclusive and accessible conferences to share the findings of your research, for example by contributing to the costs of hosting diverse speakers and panellists, or paying for a palantypist.

We will review:

• your vision, aims and target audience
• your proposed activities and how they will address the diversity and inclusion challenges you’ve identified, based on relevant evidence such as published data or the results of an internal survey
• the support you’ll get from your host organisation and relevant stakeholders 
• how you’ll monitor and evaluate your proposed activities, including how you’ll measure success and share what you’ve learned.

Who can't apply

You can't apply to carry out activities that involve the transfer of grant funds into mainland China.

You can ask for Research Enrichment – Diversity and Inclusion funding of up to £20,000.

You should ask for a level of funding that's justifiable for the scale and scope of your grant, and proposed diversity and inclusion activities.

Enrichment funding will end at the same time as your main Wellcome grant.

Funds can be used for a range of costs such as:

• staff costs, where justified

  You can ask for salary costs for staff, full or part time, who will work on the development and delivery of your project.

  Salary costs can cover:

  • administrative support staff
  • project managers
  • researchers skilled in evaluating diversity and inclusion activities
  • learning and development specialists
  • staff seconded to your project.

  You can only ask for these if:

  • there is no other form of funding available
  • their salaries aren't already funded by their organisation.

• consultant costs

  We will cover costs for you to work with or commission experts to help deliver the proposed activities. Examples include:

  • accessibility specialists
  • palantypists
  • facilitators
  • diversity and inclusion specialists.

   

• conference costs to create more diverse and inclusive events

  You can ask for costs for:

  • onsite childcare for attendees
  • fees and/or travel costs to host a diverse range of speakers and panellists
  • palantypists
  • accessibility specialists.

• dissemination and engagement costs

  We will cover costs for you to:

  • communicate any resources or tools you develop, for example, a guide to organising an accessible conference
  • promote uptake and use to others in your field and the wider community.

• evaluation costs

• travel costs

  You can ask for travel costs for you to attend relevant training events and conferences, where it's essential to the delivery of the proposed activity.

  Carbon offset costs

  This is a new policy. It applies to all types of travel costs Wellcome provides.

  You can ask for:

  • the cost of low carbon travel where practical, even if it's more expensive (for example travelling by train instead of flying)
  • project-related resources or activities that provide an alternative to travel, such as video conferencing, communication and file-sharing software
  • costs to offset the carbon emissions of the journeys you make.

  We won't pay for the core infrastructure that your host organisation should provide, unless outlined in our overheads policy. Examples include:

  • organisation-wide video conferencing packages
  • high-speed broadband
  • HD screens.

  See our carbon offset policy for travel for information on what you and your organisation need to do.

• contingency costs, as long as these are reasonable and you can justify them
• VAT on fees where the VAT can't be reclaimed.

What we don’t offer

You can't use Research Enrichment – Diversity and Inclusion funding for:

• activities or provisions that we would expect your host organisation to provide, or that it’s required to provide by law
• flexible working supplements that Wellcome already funds, eg parental leave
• a programme of activities to inspire, consult or collaborate with the public about your research – you should apply for Research Enrichment – Public Engagement funding
• childcare or other caring responsibility costs to attend a conference or research meeting – you should ask for this as part of your main Wellcome grant (either in your application or during the grant).  

We don't fund overheads.

You must submit your application through the Wellcome Trust Grant Tracker (WTGT).

Stages of application

1. Before you apply

   Read our tips on how to make your Research Enrichment – Diversity and Inclusion application stand out. 

2. Submit your application

   Complete your application on Grant Tracker.

   View the Sample full application form for Research Enrichment [PDF 115KB].

   You can also apply for enrichment funding for public engagement and open research. You’ll need to complete a separate application form for each type of funding. Applications will be assessed separately.

   If you’re already a Wellcome-funded grantholder

   You can apply at any time from your award date, but you need to be able complete your programme of activities by the end date of your main Wellcome grant. 

   If you’re applying for your main Wellcome grant

   You can begin your application for Research Enrichment funding at any time while you’re applying for your main Wellcome grant. 

   You should only submit your Research Enrichment application when you’ve been informed that your main Wellcome grant has been awarded.  

3. Decision

   Wellcome staff will assess your application.

   We aim to give you a decision within ten weeks of the application deadline. There are no interviews. 

   In most cases, feedback won’t be provided to unsuccessful applicants. 

   Unsuccessful applicants should not reapply, unless specifically invited to do so.

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.

Dates

You must submit your application by 17:00 (GMT/BST) on the deadline day. We don’t accept late applications.

January 2021 round

• Application deadline

  12 January 2021, 17:00 GMT

• Decision

  March 2021

April 2021 round

• Application deadline

  9 April 2021, 17:00 BST

• Decision

  June 2021

July 2021 round

This is the final round.

• Application deadline

  7 July 2021, 17:00 BST

• Decision

  August 2021

More information

Diversity and inclusion is one of our priority areas. Find out more about what we’re doing to make science and health research open to anyone.