Wellcome-Wolfson Capital Awards in Biomedical Science

Purpose

The Wellcome Trust and the Wolfson Foundation are pleased to announce a call for proposals for science-based capital projects that fall within the Trust's biomedical science remit. This scheme provides capital funding for large-scale projects (above £1 million), in partnership with the host institution.

The scheme is intended to facilitate internationally competitive, leading-edge biomedical research in a way that would not otherwise be possible. Projects can include either new build or refurbishment.

Please note that refurbishment costs under £250 000 can be requested when applying for other grants, such as senior fellowships.

Capital funding to support public engagement and medical history or for learned societies is also available from the Wellcome Trust.

What's included

Awards over £1 million will be made.

Requests may constitute a significant element of a larger initiative. Awards can include new build and/or refurbishment.

Proposals can include requests for research equipment where there is a clear fit with the strategic rationale for the capital build.

Support costs associated with the equipment, such as consumables and staffing for a period of up to five years, can be included provided that the institution underwrites this support following the end of the grant.

Applications for equipment only will not be accepted.

VAT cannot be included as part of the contribution requested from the Wellcome Trust or Wolfson Foundation, but VAT costs can be considered to constitute part of the host institution's contribution.

Eligibility

Applicants should be researchers, normally based in the UK or Republic of Ireland, who fulfil our normal eligibility criteria for biomedical research grants.

General principles

• Projects will normally be based in the UK.
• Projects should normally involve the commitment of funding from other sources (charitable, private or government) and/or significant direct input from the body running the collection or site or the host institution.
• Projects must demonstrate that our capital expenditure will be backed up by a commitment to ongoing revenue funding from the body running the project or the host institution.
• Our charitable status requires that commercial activities and commercially based research be kept to a minimum in space funded by us. Any such activity would require our prior approval.

Application process

Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact us in the first instance to explore whether their proposal meets our criteria. This should be done well in advance of the deadline for preliminary applications.

Preliminary applications should include:

• an outline project plan
• its key aims and objectives
• how it fits with our strategy and the institutional strategy
• the research groups that would benefit (including CVs of research team leaders and the source(s) of their research funding)
• details of funding requested from the funding organisations
• a summary of other funding committed or sought
• a supporting statement from the vice-chancellor (or equivalent) on behalf of the host institution
• evidence that the host institution has had preliminary discussions with local planning authorities where appropriate.

If successful, a full application will be invited. These should include a full business plan.

Full applications will be considered by the Capital Awards in Biomedical Sciences Committee.

Application advice

Preliminary applications will be shortlisted using the following criteria:

• how closely the activity fits with the funding organisations’ broad strategic priorities
• the potential added value of the proposed capital build for the scientific research teams
• the extent to which the project will enable internationally competitive, leading-edge biomedical research to be undertaken that would not otherwise be possible
• the commitment to the partnership by the host institution
• the extent to which the funding organisations’ capital expenditure is backed up by a commitment from the host institution to meet ongoing revenue costs
• the funding contributed by other sources (charitable, private or government).

Deadlines

• No further rounds of this scheme are currently planned.

Current award holders

The Wellcome Trust-Wolfson Capital Awards partnership has made seven awards to date. A full list of the awards made in 2010 is available.

The Wellcome Trust Capital Awards in Biomedical Science made nine awards. A full list of the awards made in 2008 is available.

Contacts

Please direct enquiries and preliminary applications to:

Claire Braybrook
Grants Adviser
Wellcome Trust
Gibbs Building
215 Euston Road
London NW1 2BE, UK

T +44 (0)20 7611 8670
F +44 (0)20 7611 7301
E c.braybrook@wellcome.ac.uk