Wellcome Trust invites brightest minds to apply for Investigator Awards

Wellcome Trust Investigator Awards will provide exceptional researchers with the flexibility and support to pursue bold ideas. These researchers will be expected to pursue innovative approaches that address the most important questions about health and disease, with the potential to lead to extraordinary improvements in health.

Wellcome Trust Investigators will help the Trust tackle its five major challenges, as set out in its Strategic Plan: maximising the health benefits of genetics and genomics; understanding the brain; combating infectious disease; investigating development, ageing and chronic disease; and connecting environment, nutrition and health.

Sir Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust, says: "We are inviting applications from outstanding researchers who have the potential to make important discoveries. Successful Wellcome Trust Investigators will have a bold vision for tackling the major research challenges that will transform our understanding of the factors that determine health and disease."

The Investigator Awards build on the Trust's highly successful fellowship schemes, which provide funding for scientists at all stages of their careers. The new Awards are aimed at researchers in established academic posts.

The closing date for the first round of applications is 22 November 2010. Further applications may be submitted on a rolling basis. The first awards are due to be made in May 2011.