Collaborative Awards in Science
Collaborative Awards promote the development of new ideas and speed the pace of discovery. We fund teams of researchers, consisting of independent research groups, to work together on the most important scientific problems that can only be solved through collaborative efforts.
Scheme at a glance
Career stage:
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For researchers with a PhD or the equivalent, and significant postdoctoral research experience.
Where your host organisation is based:
- UK,
- Republic of Ireland,
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See a list of low- and middle-income countries, as defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Type of researcher:
-
You're not a clinically qualified researcher.
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You're a clinically qualified doctor, vet, dentist or a clinical psychologist.
- Public health
Level of funding:
Up to £4 million
Duration of funding:
Up to 5 years
Who can apply
You can apply for a Collaborative Award if you are part of a team of researchers who want to work together on an important scientific problem that requires a collaborative approach.
Each applicant in your team must:
- be essential to the proposed collaborative research
- bring different expertise to the research question
- have proven research experience in their field and in collaborative research
- be leading their own research groups.
All applicants must be based at eligible organisations. You can all be based in the same or in different organisations.
The lead applicant must be based in the UK, Republic of Ireland, or a low- or middle-income country. Other applicants can be based in the same or different countries anywhere in the world.
Each applicant 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. This only applies if you’re based in the UK or a low- or middle-income country. Your host organisation must confirm details about your employment contract.
Team size will depend on the proposed research, but it has to be more than two people, and usually no more than seven.
Read about our Collaborative Awards grantholders and their research.
What we're looking for
Your proposal should describe a significant piece of work that addresses the most important questions, in an area relevant to the mission of the Wellcome Trust.
You should be able to demonstrate why the scientific problem you are tackling can only be solved through an integrated, collaborative team effort.
We encourage interdisciplinary research collaborations, although they are not essential. We also encourage applications that propose interdisciplinary research across our Science, Humanities and Social Science and Innovations teams.
We will review:
- the track records of all team members, relative to their career stage
- the importance of your research question(s) to your field(s)
- the feasibility of your proposal
- the suitability of the environments in which you and your team members do the research
- the time you and your team members will spend on the Collaborative Award, and how it fits in with other academic commitments.
A Collaborative Award can be up to £4 million and last for up to five years, but requests must be appropriate to the proposed research. Our support includes:
You can also apply for Research Enrichment funding to increase the impact of your work through activities in public engagement, open research, and diversity and inclusion.
What we don’t offer
We don't fund overheads unless they're included on this page (eg research management and support costs).
You must submit your application through the Wellcome Trust Grant Tracker (WTGT).
Start your applicationStages of application
You should discuss the scope of your proposal and suitability for the scheme with us before you submit your full application. Please contact the relevant member of our Science division.
Submit your preliminary application
You must submit your application through Grant Tracker.
View the Sample preliminary application form for Collaborative Awards in Science [PDF 138KB]
Shortlisting
If eligible, our senior science staff may assess your proposal’s initial suitability and competitiveness for the scheme.
If your preliminary application is successful, we'll invite you to submit a full application.
Submit your full application to your host organisation for approval
Complete the full application form on Grant Tracker. Submit it to the 'authorised organisational approver' at your host organisation for approval. Make sure you leave enough time for the approver to review and submit your application before the deadline. The approver may ask you to make changes to your application.
If your proposal involves clinical research using NHS resources, check if you need to upload a SoECAT form with your full application.
View the Sample full application form for Collaborative Awards in Science [PDF 317KB]
Host organisation reviews your application and submits it to us
Your application must be submitted by 17:00 (GMT/BST) on the deadline day.
Scientific review
One of the following expert review groups will review your application, depending on your area of research:
- Cell and Developmental Biology
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health
- Genetics, Genomics and Population Research
- Immune System in Health and Disease
- Molecular Basis of Cell Function
- Pathogen Biology and Disease Transmission
- Physiology in Health and Disease
- Population and Public Health
If shortlisted, we will invite you for an interview. We'll give you at least two weeks' notice.
External written peer review
We’ll seek written comments from external expert reviewers. Unattributed comments will be sent to you before your interview.
If peer reviews indicate that your application is not competitive, it will be withdrawn at this stage.
Interview
You will be interviewed by our Science Interview Panel at the Wellcome offices in London.
Disabled applicants
If you are disabled or have a chronic health condition, we can support you with the application process.
Dates
We consider applications three times a year. You must submit your application by 17:00 (GMT/BST) on the deadline day. We don’t accept late applications.
August 2018 round
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Preliminary application deadline
20 August 2018, 17:00 BST
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Full application deadline
12 November 2018, 17:00 GMT
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Shortlisting
January 2019
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Interviews
2–4 April 2019
November 2018 round
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Preliminary application deadline
19 November 2018, 17:00 GMT
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Full application deadline
28 February 2019, 17:00 GMT
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Shortlisting
April 2019
-
Interviews
16–18 July 2019
April 2019 round
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Preliminary application deadline
30 April 2019, 17:00 BST
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Full application deadline
25 July 2019, 17:00 BST
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Shortlisting
September 2019
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Interviews
3–5 December 2019
More information
Find out about how we've worked with the funding community to develop principles and obligations setting out what we expect from those responsible for clinical training, trainees and funders across the UK.
Develop your research career
See our other schemes for researchers who are interested in leading a research programme.
Key dates
We consider applications three times a year.
August 2018 round
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Preliminary application deadline
20 August 2018, 17:00 BST
-
Full application deadline
12 November 2018, 17:00 GMT
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Shortlisting
January 2019
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Interviews
2–4 April 2019
November 2018 round
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Preliminary application deadline
19 November 2018, 17:00 GMT
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Full application deadline
28 February 2019, 17:00 GMT
-
Shortlisting
April 2019
-
Interviews
16–18 July 2019
April 2019 round
-
Preliminary application deadline
30 April 2019, 17:00 BST
-
Full application deadline
25 July 2019, 17:00 BST
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Shortlisting
September 2019
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Interviews
3–5 December 2019
Apply for this grant
Log in to our online grants system (Grant Tracker). You can save your application and return to it any time.
Contact us
Contact our information officers if you have a question about funding.
If you have a question about the scope and content of your proposal, contact the relevant person in our Science team.