International Strategy FAQs

Policy and strategy

Eligibility

Q5. I have already received research funding from the Wellcome Trust and I am resident in a low- or middle-income country. What am I eligible to apply for?

Q6. I am based in a low- or middle-income country but I have never been a principal applicant or coapplicant on a Wellcome Trust award. What am I eligible to apply for?

Q7. I work at an institution funded by another non-governmental organisation in a low- or middle-income country. What am I eligible to apply for?

Q8. Can I apply for a senior fellowship to be held in my home country?

Q9. How can I apply to get a grant for a PhD or an MSc in my home country?

The application process

Q10. How do I apply?

Q11. Do I need a sponsor for a fellowship application?

Q12. What kind of support for fellows do you expect from my host institution?

Q13. What will I be paid, and what costs will you cover?

Q14. I cannot complete the form online. How can I get a Word or paper copy of the application form?

Q15. Can I get help completing the grant application form?

Q16. Can I submit my application in a language other than English?

Policy and strategy

Q1. What is the Wellcome Trust policy on long-term support for health research in low- and middle-income countries?

Our philosophy is to build sustainable health research capacity by supporting the best individuals in health research. If successful, these researchers will build teams and go on to establish new programmes and critical mass in low- and middle-income countries, working in strategically important areas of biomedical science or on health issues of regional or global importance.

The Trust seeks to maintain a broad diversity of science-driven research activity within specific areas of interest. These are:

infectious diseases (including tropical and neglected infectious diseases, animal health, zoonoses and emerging infections)
public health research in communicable and non-communicable diseases and disorders, health services research and health systems and policy research.

Applications can include including training and capacity building.

Q2. Where are the funding opportunities focused?

Our international activities are primarily focused in:

Low- and middle-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia (Indian subcontinent - India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal) and South-east Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam). These countries and regions are targeted as this is where there is the greatest perceived need and potential for improving health through research.
Some of the restructuring countries of central Europe and the Baltic States (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Estonia).

Applications from outstanding groups located in other countries that fall within the Trust's remit may also be considered. Please contact us for advice: globalhealth@wellcome.ac.uk

Q3. What type of schemes are available under the International Strategy?

We have schemes that provide career support for low- and middle-income country scientists at the following levels:

We already have funding opportunities for people based in the UK who want to work in low- or middle-income. UK and EEA candidates who intend to undertake public health or tropical medicine research in a low- or middle-income country should apply through the generic clinical or basic UK fellowship schemes.

In addition, we already provide support for research on global health problems that is entirely conducted either in the UK or in other countries with developed market economies. This includes, for example, research on malaria conducted at laboratories in the UK.

Q4. What is the Trust policy on funding clinical trials in low- and middle-income countries?

Applications for randomised controlled clinical trials may be considered by our Science Funding or Technology Transfer divisions. Details of our policy on supporting clinical trials are available for applicants based in the UK or in other eligible institutions.

We have also developed a position statement and guidance notes for applicants regarding research involving people living in low- and middle-income countries.

Eligibility

Q5. I have already received research funding from the Wellcome Trust and I am resident in a low- or middle-income country. What am I eligible to apply for?

If you have already held Wellcome Trust research funding and you have an established track record of research in your field, you can now apply directly for programme project and equipment grant support, without needing a UK-based collaborator. Please contact the relevant funding stream to discuss your position before you apply.

Previous Wellcome Trust research funding is defined for this purpose as any one of:

a principal investigator or co-investigator on a project or programme grant
a holder of a Wellcome Trust research fellowship
a holder of a grant awarded through a major initiative, such as the Health Consequences of Population Change, the Wellcome Trust-Burroughs Wellcome Fund Infectious Diseases or the Animal Health in the Developing World initiatives.

Please note that current and former holders of Wellcome Trust major awards and international senior fellowships are also eligible to apply for Strategic Awards without needing a UK collaborator.

Q6. I am based in a low- or middle-income country but I have never been a principal applicant or coapplicant on a Wellcome Trust award. What am I eligible to apply for?

If you are based in an eligible country and intend to conduct biomedical research, you may be eligible to apply for a fellowship, Investigator Award or a Strategic Award. Thes e schemes will remain the primary routes through which new overseas applicants may apply for direct Wellcome Trust funding.

Q7. I work at an institution funded by another non-governmental organisation in a low- or middle-income country. What am I eligible to apply for?

See the eligibility criteria for information on the types of institutions that are eligible for support by the Wellcome Trust. Please contact us for any additional information: international@wellcome.ac.uk.

Q8. Can I apply for a senior fellowship to be held in my home country?

You may already be eligible to apply for an International Senior Fellowship, which provides support for outstanding biomedical researchers of any nationality who wish to establish an independent research career at an academic institution in India, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary or Poland. A Senior Fellowship in Public Health and Tropical Medicine for researchers from low- or middle-income countries has been introduced.

Q9. How can I apply to get a grant to a PhD or an MSc in my home country?

We offer a flexible approach to Master's research training in all areas of tropical medicine and public health. This will involve a research project based in a developing country, which can be combined with an appropriate taught course at an internationally recognised centre of excellence anywhere in the world, plus one year of funding on your return from training, to allow you to become embedded within an active research group in your home country. Under certain circumstances, those who have undertaken an MSc may be able to extend their funding to undertake a PhD.

Please note that all requests for MSc support must be made through eligible national institutions or through our existing Major Overseas Programmes, with a track record of training, rather than on an individual basis.

The application process

Q10. How do I apply?

If you are based in a low- or middle-income country, you will need to submit a preliminary application form. Please see the relevant scheme pages for more information.

Q11. Do I need a sponsor for a fellowship application?

Yes. Also, if you request training in an institution other than the institution that your award would be held in, you will also need a sponsor in that institution. We expect sponsors to have a track record in research and training and/or mentoring.

Q12. What kind of support for fellows do you expect from my host institution?

The host institution will be expected to provide you with appropriate facilities, infrastructure and space for the work to be undertaken as well as support and mentoring where appropriate.

Q13. What will I be paid, and what costs will you cover?

Salaries for low- or middle-income-country fellows at training, intermediate and senior levels will be based on levels in your home institution. For any time spent training in a developed country institution, you may receive an overseas allowance, subsistence, a stipend or a salary at a level based on that institution's salary scales for the duration of the training. We will also pay the directly incurred costs of your proposed project.

Q14. I cannot complete the form online. How can I get a Word or paper copy of the application form?

The Wellcome Trust's eGrants online application system is mandatory for most applicants for our major schemes. However, if your access to the internet is limited or unreliable, please contact the eGrants helpdesk: egrantssupport@wellcome.ac.uk and we will send you a Microsoft Word or paper application form. Please note that we require a preliminary application from health researchers from low- and middle-income countries before a full application form may be submitted.

Q15. Can I get help completing the grant application form?

If you require technical help with our eGrants application process, please contact the eGrants helpdesk: egrantssupport@wellcome.ac.uk . If you require help understanding what is required for specific questions on the application form, please contact the staff member dealing with your preliminary application. If you require scientific help with your proposal, you will need to ask your sponsor or a collaborator for input. It is expected that at junior levels of award, the sponsor will have some input into your application and this contribution should be noted in your application.

Q16. Can I submit my application form in a language other than English?

No. We are only able to supply and process application forms in English.