Wellcome Call for Applications: Investigator Awards in Science

Wellcome offers this scheme called “Investigator Awards in Science” which enable independent researchers with a compelling research vision to tackle the most important questions in science.

Eligibility and suitability:

• You can apply for an Investigator Award if you’re an independent researcher with a compelling research vision who wants to tackle the most important questions in your field.
• These awards are also open to joint applications from two researchers whose complementary expertise is essential to deliver their shared vision.

1. Career stage and experience

We consider applications from researchers throughout their independent careers. For example, you may be a newly appointed lecturer, a mid-career researcher or a senior researcher.

If you’re in the early stages of your independent research career, you should be able to show that you can drive advances in your field of study and that you have considerable promise for the future. You should have a strong track record relative to your career stage of:

• leading innovative and creative programmes of research
• making important contributions to research, eg publications, patents and impacts on policy
• securing research grant funding.

You should also be able to show that you’re developing an international reputation for excellence in your field.

If you’re a more established researcher, you should have achieved more in terms of the originality and impact of your research. You should have a track record of:

• making significant contributions to research, eg publications, patents and impacts on policy
• securing sustained research support from major funding bodies
• developing and mentoring less experienced researchers.

You should have an international reputation as a research leader in your field.

If you’ve been away from research (eg for a career break, maternity leave, or long-term sick leave), we’ll allow for this when we consider your application.

2. Current situation

• You must be based at an eligible host organisation in the UK, Republic of Ireland or a low- or middle-income country apart from India or mainland China.
• You should have a permanent, open-ended or long-term rolling contract, or the guarantee of one. Your salary must be paid by your host organisation.
• If you hold a permanent, open-ended or long-term rolling contract but have to get your salary from external grant funding, you can ask us for this in your application. If this applies to you, you must commit at least 10% of your working hours to this award. In this case, your host organisation must confirm details about your employment contracts or their policy on salary recovery costs. 

Read more here. 

Application deadline November 10, 2020 (November round), February 9, 2021 (February round) and July 1, 2021 (July round).