Wellcome Early-Career Awards

This scheme has now moved to accepting applications on a rolling basis but with three annual rounds of shortlisting and interviews.

Applicants planning to submit in Michaelmas 2026 should: 

Notify Faculty of intention to apply by: 4 August 2026

Submit Materials for Internal Review deadline: 18 August 2026

This scheme provides funding for early-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity. Successful projects will deliver shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing and ready award-holders for leading their own independent research programme. 

Duration & Level of funding
Usually 5 years, but may be less for some disciplines (e.g. humanities and social sciences), and may only be longer if held on a part-time basis. Wellcome will fund your salary and up to £400,000 in research expenses. 

Eligibility
Applicants should be early-career researchers who have passed their viva examination for a PhD or equivalent higher research degree, or otherwise have at least four years' equivalent research experience. Applicants should normally have no more than three years postdoctoral experience (allowing for part-time work, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, career breaks and other significant time outside of research).

The research project must aim to advance understanding in the ECR's field and/or develop methodologies, conceptual frameworks, tools or techniques that could benefit health-related research.  It can be in any discipline as long as it has the potential to improve human life, health and wellbeing, and aligns with Wellcome's funding remit.

For more details on eligibility and funding, please see Wellcome's webpage for this opportunity. 

How to Apply

Applications must be made through Wellcome's online grants system (Grant Tracker). As of 25th August 2026, when it will reopen after the July 2026 round, this scheme will move to accepting applications on a rolling basis. Wellcome will instead assess applications in three annual gathered fields, with shortlisting in February, June and September, and interviews in May, September and January.

The Faculty requires that all Wellcome ECF applications undergo internal review and approval before they can be put forward to the funder. From the 2026-2027, internal review will be co-ordinated with internal selection for the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships (in August/September) and Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships (in November/December). Wellcome Early-Career Awards 2025-2026 internal deadlines will therefore be:

Michaelmas Term 2026 Submissions

• Notify Faculty of intention to apply by: 4 August 2026
• Internal Review submission deadline: 18 August 2026
• Advised Latest Submission Deadline for Applicants (including Organisation Approval): 16 November 2026
• Funder Shortlisting: February 2027
• Funder Interviews: May 2027
• Expected Earliest Start Date: 01 June 2027

Hilary Term 2027 Submissions

• Notify Faculty of intention to apply by: TBC (expected November 2026)
• Internal Review submission deadline: TBC (expected end-November 2026)
• Advised Latest Submission Deadline for Applicants (including Organisation Approval): 15 February 2027
• Funder Shortlisting: June 2027
• Funder Interviews: September 2027
• Expected Earliest Start Date: 01 October 2027

Full application guidelines are available on the Wellcome Trust website.

Applicants submitting materials for internal review/approval should send the following to research@law.ox.ac.uk by 17:00 18th August 2026 (Michaelmas 2026 applications):

• A Research Vision, following the guidance as for the online application form, which has a 3,000 word limit. Be sure to include.
  • Your aims and research questions;
  • The expected outcomes from your work;
  • The background and work which has led up to the project;
  • Your approach, methods and how you will address challenges; and
  • Key stages in your research plans, indicating location and milestones.
• Study design outlining your research methods - 300 words max.
• An summary how of you have contributed to the generation of new ideas, tools or techniques and your most important research outputs so far - 600 words max.
• A short CV (Max. length 2 pages).
• A statement of support from your proposed mentor (either sent by the candidate or sent confidentially by the mentor), minimum 1 page, maximum 2 pages. 

For further queries on the internal review materials and process, please contact research@law.ox.ac.uk.