How to transfer a grant

Find out what to do if you want to transfer your Wellcome grant.

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When we will consider a transfer 

We recognise that researchers are increasingly mobile and that career paths may change during the course of a grant. We do not wish to stand in the way of such important decisions.

We will consider a transfer if you're:

  • moving to another organisation and want to take your grant with you
  • no longer able to lead the grant and want to transfer it to a new grantholder.

The new organisation:

Transfers must be in the interests of the research and the people involved.

If you're a Wellcome fellow and you've been offered a permanent position, you can keep the research part of your fellowship but we'll remove the salary component. Contact the funding manager looking after your grant to discuss this.

We won't consider a transfer to:

We will look at:

  • the suitability of the new grantholder or research location
  • if you can complete your research as well or more effectively in the new location.

If your grant is jointly funded by Wellcome and another funder we will need to consider any specific eligibility restrictions that apply. Examples include:

How to ask for a transfer 

You should contact the funding manager looking after your grant. If you don't know who this is, contact our Grants Information Desk.

Make sure you let your Research Office know that you want to transfer your grant.

You should contact us as soon as possible. There is information that you will need to send to us and transfers can take several months to process.

Tell us:

  • why you want to transfer your grant
  • who you want to transfer your grant to, or where
  • when you want to transfer
  • if you need the grant to your new organisation in a new currency
  • if you've already spent any money on the grant.

What you need to do if we agree your transfer 

We'll ask you to send us some, or all, of the information listed below to your funding manager.

What we'll ask you for depends on your circumstances and the type of transfer. It may include:

  • a CV for the new grantholder and confirmation from them that they will take on responsibility for the grant
  • information about the organisation you want to move to, including the post you will take up
  • confirmation from your new organisation that they have signed up to our grant conditions
  • letters of support from:
    • the head of department at your current organisation
    • the head of department at the new organisation
    • your current sponsor or supervisor, if you're a fellow
    • your new sponsor or supervisor, if you're a fellow.
  • a Final Expenditure Report (FER) from your Finance Office, which must include all the spend on your grant up to the date you're planning to move.

We can't process your transfer until we receive the FER. Your Finance Office may take up to three months to issue the report.

We'll then process your request. If necessary we'll issue you with a new award letter.

If you have more than one grant to transfer, we'll consider them separately but process them at the same time. You'll get a separate award letter for each grant.

We won't pay any extra costs for the transfer, such as removal costs or location allowances, or provide new allowances for salary recovery and overheads.

What happens to your equipment 

If you're the lead grantholder and you transfer to another administering organisation, equipment that was awarded as part of your grant should move with you to the new organisation.

This applies if you move:

  • during the period of your award
  • within three years of it ending.

If you hold a Multi-user Equipment Grant any equipment must remain at the organisation to which it was originally awarded.

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