Scheme at a glance

Lead applicant career stage: Established researcher

Administering organisation location: UK, Republic of Ireland, Low- or middle-income countries (apart from India and mainland China)

Location eligibility for this funding scheme is changing

From 29 October 2026, we will only accept applications from lead applicants based at eligible administering organisations in the UK and low- and middle-income countries in Africa, South Asia and South-east Asia.

• Learn more about this change
• Review a list of low- and middle-income countries in Africa, South Asia and South-east Asia

Frequency: Twice a year – Upcoming deadline in September 2026

Funding amount: You should ask for the resources you need for your research programme – see the ‘Research costs we’ll cover’ section on this page. You will need to justify this in your application. The average size of a Discovery Award is £3.5 million. Applications above £5 million will be subject to additional scrutiny.

Funding duration: Awards can be up to 8 years, but may be less for some disciplines, and may be longer if held on a part-time basis. The average duration of a Discovery Award is 7 years, although we have supported awards from 3 to 8 years.

Coapplicants: Accepted

Additional Resources 

• Review previous projects that have been successful for this scheme
  Funded grants | Grant Funding | Wellcome
• For more information, eligibility criteria, grant regulations, and conditions, please see our website
  Wellcome Discovery Awards – Funding for Established Researchers | Research funding | Wellcome