Wellcome Science Review 2020

What’s inside

A review of the way Wellcome supports science, based on broad consultation with people working in research, funding, industry and policy in several countries around the world. The review includes a survey of 2,000 people from the research community and an analysis of the funding landscape.

Who this is for

researchers
research leaders
funders
policy makers

Key findings

Wellcome-funded science should enable science and innovation to tackle the greatest threats facing humanity, and it should do so through a broad programme of discovery research, together with research directed at specific health challenges.
Three criteria were used to determine the health challenges Wellcome should focus on: the urgency and scale of the threat; the opportunity for Wellcome to lead the way and make a difference; and the ability to harness what differentiates Wellcome from others.
Three health challenges were identified based on these criteria: mental health, global heating and infectious diseases.
Each carries the risk of premature disability and death in future generations, and each will be felt most acutely by minorities or resource-poor populations. For each, Wellcome can support a continuum of work – from discovery research to translation and implementation, complemented by advocacy, policy and public engagement.
In discovery research, Wellcome should promote a healthy and productive research culture, ensuring that science as a career is open to everyone. By giving researchers the freedom to ask the most exciting questions, supported with career development and good leadership, everyone should benefit from Wellcome-funded research.