Wellcome Trust – How Wellcome Manages Application Demand (July 2026)

Wellcome has introduced demand management measures to manage the high volume of grant applications and ensure that the effort invested by applicants, research administrators, and peer reviewers is proportionate to the likelihood of funding success.

1. Limiting Resubmissions
2. A project can be submitted to Wellcome a maximum of two times across all Wellcome funding schemes and themed funding calls.
3. This applies to applications that have already been reviewed by Wellcome’s shortlisting Advisory Groups.
4. Any resubmission must demonstrate significant development and improvement from the original proposal.
5. If a project has already been reviewed twice, any future application must be a new project.
6. Applicants are encouraged to resubmit only when substantial progress has been made, rather than simply responding to reviewer comments.

• Discovery Research Funding Schemes

The following schemes will become continuously open:

• Early-Career Awards
• Career Development Awards
• Discovery Awards
•  
• Implementation timeline:
• August 2026: Early-Career Awards and Career Development Awards.
• Late September 2026: Discovery Awards.
• How the new process works?
• Applications can be submitted at any time; there will be no fixed deadlines.
• Applications will undergo eligibility screening and be assigned to the next available shortlisting meeting.
• If a meeting is full, the application will be moved to the following meeting.
• Shortlisting committees and interview committees will each meet three times per year.
• Applicants should submit proposals well in advance of their intended project start date.
• Shortlisted applications will proceed to the next scheduled interview meeting.

5. One-off Funding Calls

• One-off funding calls will continue to have fixed submission deadlines.
• If application numbers are exceptionally high, Wellcome may place a cap on the number of applications progressing to review.
• When a cap is applied, eligible applications will be selected through a random selection process.
• The number selected will depend on the expected number of awards and the target success rate.
  • Implications for Researchers

• Researchers will have greater flexibility to submit Discovery Research applications throughout the year.
• Applicants should carefully prepare proposals because projects can only be reviewed twice.
• For highly competitive one-off calls, submission before the deadline does not guarantee progression to peer review if Wellcome applies a cap and random selection process.