Funding Opportunity: Doctoral Programme for Healthcare Professionals in the UK

This Wellcome funding initiative aims to create approximately 12 new doctoral programmes for registered healthcare professionals across the UK and Republic of Ireland. The core objective is to cultivate and retain future healthcare professional academics within robust research environments. Each successful programme will receive an average of £12 million to support five cohorts, each comprising 3-5 fellows. The funding is comprehensive, covering all fellow-related costs including PhD fees, salaries, research expenses, training, and dedicated career development support. The opportunity targets established researchers leading teams at eligible UK host organizations. Key evaluation criteria emphasize the quality of the training programme (50%), the team's expertise (25%), and the programme management plans (25%). Successful proposals must align with Wellcome's Discovery Research remit, demonstrate an ambitious vision, a robust and diverse recruitment strategy, and a strong commitment to fellows' career progression and an inclusive research culture. The first intake of fellows is expected in autumn 2027.

1. **Eligibility Confirmation**: Ensure the lead applicant is an established researcher based at an eligible UK host organization. Verify that neither the lead nor co-applicants exceed the application limits (one lead application and one co-application, OR two co-applications). 2. **Team Building**: Assemble a diverse and experienced team of co-directors (up to seven), co-applicants, and collaborators, demonstrating their collective skills and capacity to dedicate sufficient time and resources. 3. **Vision and Need**: Articulate a compelling, ambitious vision that clearly addresses an identified unmet need within healthcare professional academic training, aligning with Wellcome’s Discovery Research remit. 4. **Programme Design**: Develop a detailed and innovative training programme (50% weighting) with a robust plan for recruiting a diverse cohort of healthcare professionals. 5. **Career Progression Strategy**: Dedicate significant attention to outlining a specific and comprehensive strategy for supporting fellows' career progression, both during their doctorate and post-completion. 6. **Research Culture**: Explicitly detail plans for fostering a positive, inclusive, and supportive research culture within the programme. 7. **Management Plan**: Present strong programme management plans (25% weighting), showcasing capability to effectively manage the significant funding and multiple cohorts. 8. **Application Process**: Apply meticulously via the Wellcome Funding platform, ensuring all two required documents are submitted and the administering organization provides approval by the 10 February 2026 deadline. Although the information webinar date (Nov 4, 2025) has passed relative to the post date, review any available recordings or materials. Be prepared for a potential interview stage in May 2026.

This is a highly strategic and substantial funding opportunity by Wellcome, aimed at addressing a critical need for retaining healthcare professionals in research careers. The 'one-off' frequency and significant funding (£12 million per programme) indicate a high level of competition for the approximately 12 available awards. The emphasis is on building 'world-leading training environments,' suggesting that proposals must demonstrate exceptional quality, innovation, and scalability. The grant specifically targets institutions and research teams to establish *programmes*, rather than funding individual PhDs directly, which is a crucial distinction. Wellcome's focus extends beyond pure research output to include diversity, career support, and a positive research culture, indicating a holistic evaluation approach. The substantial weighting on the 'training programme' (50%) underscores the importance of a well-designed curriculum and fellow experience. The staggered timeline, with first intakes in Autumn 2027, suggests Wellcome is prepared for a thorough selection process and expects awardees to have a significant lead-time for programme development and fellow recruitment. Exclusion criteria, such as transfer of funds to mainland China and limits on concurrent applications, must be carefully noted.