Overseas allowances

Wellcome Trust awards will provide a contribution towards the cost of working on a Wellcome Trust-funded research project overseas. The budget provided is cash-limited at the point of award. It is ring-fenced but may be used flexibly, at the post holder's discretion, to cover any reasonable costs associated with relocating and working overseas.

The system of allowances is calculated on the assumption that post holders are paying income tax either in the country in which they are working or in their home country. Post holders are reminded that it is their responsibility, in conjunction with their employing organisation, to ensure that their personal tax affairs are in order.

The overseas allowances contribution depends on the category of post holder:

1. UK-employed post holders working in low- and middle-income countries , including Major Overseas Programmes, for 12 months or more

2. UK-employed post holders working in developed countries for 12 months or more

3. Overseas-employed post holders working in the UK for 12 months

or more

4. Overseas-employed post holders working in other overseas countries for 12 months or more

Category 1

UK-employed post holders working in low- and middle-income countries, including the Major Overseas Programmes, for 12 months or more, may request the following at predicted actual cost:

housing c o ntribution up to a maximum of £3000 (single), £4000 (partner) or £5000 (with children) p.a.For the Major Overseas Programmes, higher contributions may be requested. Applicants should seek advice on the amount to request from the Major Overseas Programme administrators
housing se curity costs
personal freight costs up to a maximum of £8000 (£4000 each way)
health insura nce for post holders and their families (BUPA Gold cover plus emergency evacuation cover)
annual leave airfares for visits of two years or more, plus qualifying partner/dependent children, to the post holder's place of primary residence
vis a/vaccination costs plus anti-malarial prophylaxis for post holder, partner and dependent children
education allowance for accompanying dependent children of post holders, who will be working in locations where a state education (in English as the mother-tongue), of an equivalent standard to that provided in the UK, is unavailable
outward and return airfares for the post holder, accompanying partner and dependent children.

Applicants should provide the predicted costs for the above allowances.

Category 2

UK-employed post holders working in developed countries for 12 months or more, may request a fixed, flexible contribution based on the following:

housing c ontribution of £3000 (single), £4000 (partner) or £5000 (with children) p.a.
freight a llowance of £8000 (£4000 each way)
annual leave airfares contribution of £500 (single), £1000 (partner) or £1300 (with children) p.a.
health insurance at predicted actual cost (BUPA Gold cover)
visa/vaccinations contribution of £200
education allowance (rarely required for developed countries)
outward and return airfares for the post holder, accompanying partner and dependent children.

Applicants should provide the predicted costs for health insurance, outward and return airfares and schooling if required. The Office will allocate the other allowances.

Category 3

Overseas-employed post holders working in the UK for 12 months or more.Those coming to the UK receive a fixed, flexible contribution based on the following:

housing contribution of £3000 (single), £4000 (partner) or £5000 (with children) p.a.
fr eight allo wance of £1000
annual leave airfares contribution of £500 (single), £1000 (partner), £1300 (with children) p.a.
visa/vaccinations contribution of £200
outward and return airfares for the post holder, accompanying partner and dependent children.

Applicants should provide the predicted costs of the outward and return airfares.The Office will allocate the other allowances.

Category 4

Overseas-employed post holders working in other overseas countries for 12 months or more receive a fixed, flexible contribution based on the following:

housing contribution of £3000 (single), £4000 (partner) or £5000 (with children) p.a.
housing security costs in low- and middle-income countries
freight allowance contribution of £1000
annual leave airfares contribution of £500 (single), £1000 (partner), £1300 (with children) p.a.
visa/vaccinations contribution of £200
health insurance and anti-malarial prophylaxis costs
education allowance for accompanying dependent children of post holders who will be working in locations where a free education of an equivalent standard to that provided in the post holder’s home country is unavailable (rarely required for developed countries)
outward and return airfares for the post holder, accompanying partner and dependent children.
Applicants should provide the predicted costs of health insurance, outward and return airfares and, if required (and eligible), anti-malarial prophylaxis, housing security and schooling. The Office will allocate the other allowances.

Annual leave airfares

These are provided for visits of more than two years, as follows:

0-23 months - Outward and homebound, 0 additional flights
24-35 months - Outward and homebound plus 1 additional return flight
36-47 months - Outward and homebound plus 2 additional return flights
48-59 months - Outward and homebound plus 3 additional return flights

and so on.

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Education allowa nce

This is provided for post holders with accompanying dependent children, who are working overseas for 12 months or more, in locations where a free education of an equivalent standard to that provided in the post holder's home country is unavailable.

The allowance provides reasonable:

nursery school fees at 90 per cent for three- and four-year-olds for a maximum of 15 hours per week
local junior school fees at 90 per cent
local secondary school or UK boarding school fees at 90 per cent (or in cases where both parents and/or guardians are resident outside the home country, we will consider requests for boarding school fees in the home country at 90 per cent)
return airfares at the beginning and end of each term.

Those working in the English-speaking developed world should normally have access to suitable public/state schools for their children and will therefore be ineligible for this allowance. The Wellcome Trust does not provide any contribution to university fees, or other education for children over the age of 18 beyond completion of normal secondary schooling.

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