Science works for health. Now let's make it work for everyone.

Our mission remains the same, but the world is constantly changing. Scientific opportunity is expanding rapidly. Advances in data science, AI and biomedical research - from new vaccine technologies and gene therapies to more precise diagnostics - are accelerating discovery at extraordinary speed. At the same time, conflict, climate change, economic pressures, a reduction in development assistance and a more fragmented international environment are reshaping health risks and putting long-established institutions under strain. 

In a more complex and uncertain world, science can only make a difference when it is effectively connected to health systems, informs policy, and involves the people and communities it is meant to serve equitably.  

Between 2022 and 2032, Wellcome is investing more than £16 billion in science worldwide. As a philanthropic organisation, our role is not only to fund research, but to use every resource at our disposal - expertise, partnerships, and influence - to guide which science is pursued, and how those advances translate to enabling people to live healthier lives. This ambition sets the focus of our strategy and informs our choices.  

The biggest health challenges rarely fit within a single field. That is why we invest across a wide range - from life sciences and medicine to social science and the humanities - and why we support researchers across career stages, from early discovery science through to practical applied research.  

The most important breakthroughs often emerge from unexpected directions. Much of our funding gives researchers the freedom to pursue important questions and follow where their work takes them, trusting that curiosity, given room, can produce knowledge that matters. 

Alongside this, we’re focusing on three global health challenges: infectious disease, mental health and the health impacts of climate change. These are global in scale, highly pressing, and areas where science can make a meaningful and equitable difference within this decade. 

We are concentrating our investments in the geographies where these urgent challenges are most severe and where increasing scientific capacity can significantly strengthen research and health systems to improve outcomes. By 2030, at least 25% of Wellcome’s active research investments will be in Africa, South Asia and South-East Asia, an ambition we have already been making steady progress towards for some time. 

We will continue to invest in the UK, one of the world’s leading research environments and a cornerstone of significant discoveries. Its strength also lies in its ability to collaborate globally and contribute to advances that impact lives all over the world. We recognise national priorities may shift in response to a changing world, but we are confident the UK will see the long-standing benefits of maintaining its leadership in health and life science and continue to advance these critical fields globally. 

Taken together, this reflects our commitment to equity: the impact of science depends not only on what is discovered, but on where and how it is supported, connected and applied. Who we involve dictates who benefits in the long-term. 

We have seen this in practice. During the 2014–16 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, advances depended on collaboration between researchers, governments and communities from around the world, but with West Africa engaged and involved as the response unfolded. That partnership enabled the first successful vaccine trials conducted during an active outbreak, where trust and local engagement were essential to success. 

The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo shows how this approach is evolving, with national and regional institutions playing a stronger role in coordinating responses and setting priorities, building on experience from previous outbreaks. 

Locally led research and development capacity must continue to grow, supported by international partners that align behind local leadership rather than fragmenting efforts. The experience of Ebola shows that innovation is strongest when it is shaped by the people and institutions closest to the challenge. 

Throughout my own career, I have seen this principle play out again, and again. I started as a physician scientist, driven by curiosity and discovery. And I came to understand that knowledge alone does not change lives. When research is connected to policy, and shapes health systems and actions, we can improve millions of lives. 

Advancement of this kind is never made alone. It depends on scientists willing to pursue difficult questions, on communities whose lives and experiences shape the work, on policy makers prepared to act on evidence, and on partners committed to working across boundaries. Their contribution, and their trust, is what makes this ambition real. 

As Wellcome enters its tenth decade, our purpose is clear: to uncover the questions science needs to answer, and ensure its benefits reach those who need them most. 

That is how we all support science to work for health. And that is how we can make it work for everyone.