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Wellcome: Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Award: Optimising interventions for impact
-Wellcome is pleased to share a new funding opportunity, Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Award: Optimising interventions for impact, delivered in partnership with the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). This funding call will support transdisciplinary teams led from Africa, South Asia or South-East Asia to conduct randomised controlled trials that optimise licensed pharmaceutical interventions for infectious diseases.
The clinical trial should generate evidence to inform changes to policy, practice and guidelines, and lead to measurable impact in the communities most affected, ultimately improving the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries.
The pharmaceutical intervention (vaccine or therapeutic) must focus on one of the following disease areas:
· Mycobacterial infections (tuberculosis, leprosy or infections with non-tuberculous mycobacteria)
· Bacterial infections (sexually transmitted infections, lower respiratory tract infections or bloodstream infections)
· Invasive fungal infections
· Dengue, leishmaniasis or schistosomiasis
Eligibility
The lead applicant must:
· Be a mid-career or established researcher. If the lead applicant is a mid-career researcher, he/she needs to include an established researcher as a co-applicant to provide intellectual, personal and career development support and mentorship.
· Be Based at an organisation in Africa, South Asia or South-East Asia (except mainland China) and intend to remain resident in that country for the duration of the award.
· Have a permanent, open-ended or long-term rolling contract – or the guarantee of one – for the duration of the award.
Award details
£1,000,000 - £8,000,000 per award, for a period of 3-5 years
Funder webinar, 23 March 2026 - registration link
Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval
Funder deadline:
02 June 2026
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SAMRC-GACD: 11th GACD Multisectoral Approaches Call
-(https://www.samrc.ac.za/funding/11th-gacd-multisectoral-approaches-call)
The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) together with the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR), is inviting investigators to submit applications with a focus on implementation research, maximising collaboration and coordination with sectors and in settings beyond the healthcare system to tackle chronic non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries and underserved populations in high-income countries (multisectoral approaches).
Eligibility
· Researchers with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Principal Investigator.
· One of the Principal Investigators (ideally the PI) must have a South African (SA) identity number (or permanent SA residence) and be a resident in SA for the duration of the project.
· SAMRC requires joint funding from the NHMRC and/or CIHR.
o Applicants intending to apply for joint funding from SAMRC & NHMRC should advise of their intent to participate in the call via email to international@nhmrc.gov.au.
o Applicants intending to apply for joint funding from SAMRC & CIHR should advise of their intent to participate in the call via email to support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca and check CIHR agency-specific information.
· Part of the project must take place in South Africa or on the African continent.
Award details
· SAMRC have a total budget of ~50,000 USD (~800,000 ZAR) per year and expects to jointly fund 1- 2 projects for 3-5 years.
Funder webinar, 24 March 2026- (10h00 registration link; 17h00 registration link)
Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval
Funder deadline:
First stage proposal deadline: 17 June 2026
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Funding Opportunity Announcement | Wellcome: Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Development Award
-Wellcome is soliciting application for their Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Development Award. This funding call will support the formation of transdisciplinary teams led from Africa, South Asia or South-East Asia to develop an innovative idea for a future proposal for a clinical trial that optimises licensed infectious disease interventions to drive impact in low- and middle-income countries.
The pharmaceutical intervention (vaccine or therapeutic) must focus on one of the following disease areas:
mycobacterial infections (tuberculosis, leprosy or infections with non-tuberculous mycobacteria)
bacterial infections (sexually transmitted infections, lower respiratory tract infections or bloodstream infections)
invasive fungal infections
dengue, leishmaniasis or schistosomiasis
Eligibility:
The lead applicant must:
- Be a mid-career or established researcher. If the lead applicant is a mid-career researcher, he/she needs to include an established researcher as a co-applicant to provide intellectual, personal and career development support and mentorship.
- Be based at an organisation in Africa, South Asia or South-East Asia (except mainland China) and intend to remain resident in that country for the duration of the award.
- Have a permanent, open-ended or long-term rolling contract – or the guarantee of one – for the duration of the award
Award details:
- Up to £200,000 per award, for up to 24months
Download the PDF outlining UCT's deadlines for internal approval
Funder deadline:
19 May 2026 -
Funding Opportunity Announcement | Wellcome: Early Career Awards-July 2026
-(https://wellcome.org/research-funding/schemes/wellcome-early-career-awards)
The Wellcome Early-Career Awards scheme is soliciting applications from early-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity. Through innovative projects, they should deliver shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health, and wellbeing. By the end of the award, successful candidates should be equipped to lead their own independent research programme.
Eligibility:
Early-Career Researchers.
Award details:
PI salary for up to five years and up to £400 000 for research purposes.
Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval
Funder deadline:
Three deadlines annually, with the next one for 2026 being 21 July.
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Funding Opportunity Announcement | Wellcome: Career Development Awards-July 2026
-(https://wellcome.org/research-funding/schemes/wellcome-career-development-awards)
Wellcome is soliciting applications for their Career Development Awards scheme. Mid-career researchers from any discipline who have the potential to be international research leaders are eligible to apply. Through this scheme they will develop their research capabilities, drive innovative programmes of work, and deliver significant shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health, and wellbeing. By the end of the award, successful candidates should have achieved international standing in their area of research.
Eligibility:
Mid-Career researchers
Award details:
Up to eight years and applicants may request a salary.
Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval
Funder deadline:
Three deadlines annually, with the next one for 2026 being 28 July.
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Funding Opportunity Announcement | Wellcome: Discovery Awards
-(https://wellcome.org/research-funding/schemes/wellcome-discovery-awards)
Wellcome is soliciting applications for their Discovery Awards scheme from established researchers and teams from any discipline. Researchers who want to pursue bold and creative research ideas to deliver significant shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing are eligible to apply. Successful applicants will be expected to actively promote a diverse, inclusive and supportive research environment within their team and across their organisation.
Eligibility:
Established researchers
Award details:
Up to eight years of project expenses.
Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval
Funder deadline:
Three deadlines annually, with the next one for 2026 being 22 September.
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Apply to observe a Wellcome funding advisory committee
-Are you a researcher planning to apply for a Wellcome grant in the next two years?
Wellcome is offering researchers the opportunity to observe a Wellcome funding advisory committee and learn how grant applications are assessed. The opportunity is available to active researchers in any discipline linked to Wellcome’s Discovery Research remit, based in the UK, Republic of Ireland, or a low- or middle-income country (excluding India and China).
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Funding Opportunity Announcement | Wellcome: Mental Health Award
-Wellcome is soliciting applications for the Mental Health Award: Using physical activity and circadian-based interventions to reduce anxiety and depression in young people. This award will fund mechanistically informed trials of interventions for anxiety and depression in young people aged 10-18 years. Successful teams will build on existing mechanistic evidence to develop more precise and effective early interventions that have the potential to scale.
Eligibility
Established researchers with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Principal Investigator.
Award details
£1-4 million per grant, for 3-4 years
Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval
Funder deadline:
14 July 2026
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Funding Opportunity Announcement | NIHR: Global Advanced Fellowships (Cohort 2)
-The UK-based National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is accepting applications from postdoctoral researchers at all levels to the Global Advanced Fellowship scheme. The scheme aims to create a sustainable pathway to research leadership for global health researchers working in Low- and Middle-income countries (LMIC) and the UK. The Global Advanced Fellowship scheme will support any field of applied global health research for the direct and primary benefit of people living in LMICs.
Eligibility
To be eligible for an NIHR Global Advanced Fellowship you must:
Have recently completed or are soon to be awarded a PhD but are not established as an independent researcher.
For clinical applications: have completed relevant pre-registration training.
Be employed by a Higher Education Institution (HEI) or Research Institute in a LMIC or a HEI in the UK
Be conducting research that directly and primarily benefit patients and the public in countries on the OECD DAC list.
Award details
Up to £750,000 funding towards the salary costs of the individual, and the costs of an appropriate research project and training and development programme.
Project duration of 2 to 5 years Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) in duration and may be taken up on a part-time basis between 50% and 100% WTE.
Funder Webinar, 16 April 2026 - registration link
Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval
Funder deadline:
30 June 2026
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Funding Opportunity Announcement | NIHR: Global Health Research Professorships
-The Global Research Professorship award is NIHR’s flagship career development award. It aims to fund research leaders to promote effective translation of research The programme funds researchers undertaking research that aims to specifically and primarily benefit people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA).
Eligibility
To apply for a Global Health Research Professorship, you must:
Have an outstanding record of public health, health or care research including clinical and non-clinical researchers
Be on track to become a future global health research leader
Be based in a LMIC or the UK
Be nominated by the higher education institution (HEI) or research institute in which they are employed (See eligible host institution list)
NB: Only two submissions per institution are allowed (at least one of which needs to be female).
Award details
up to £2 million of funding over 5 years
Submission process:
Since the host institution submits two nominees for this award, ONLY candidates who complete the applicant screening questionnaire by 4 May will be considered in UCT’s internal selection process.
Applicants should submit an intention to submit and complete an MS Teams- based questionnaire by 4 May.
- The responses provided in the questionnaire will form the basis for the internal shortlisting process.
- The internal selection process will run from 4 to 11 May.
- The responses provided in the questionnaire will form the basis for the internal shortlisting process.
The International Grants Hub (IGH) is coordinating the internal selection process and aims to notify all candidates of the outcome of their internal application by 12 May 2026.
Funder deadline:
30 June 2026
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Call for Applications | Health Sciences Postgraduate Research Training Grant
-The Faculty Research Committee (FRC) has committed a budget to strategic research support awards to assist postgraduate research related projects. The intention of this award is to assist Principal Investigators to support a postgraduate related research project(s) with the vision to help fulfil the successful completion of both the project(s) and the postgraduate degree(s).
Eligibility
Application for the funding must be made by the Principal Investigator (academic or research staff member in the Faculty of Health Sciences) who is the supervisor of the postgraduate student(s)
Principal Investigators can apply for funds to support multiple students’ projects in one application but are limited to one application per Principal Investigator.
Award details
A maximum award of R30 000 per application towards research costs.
Research costs requested may include research consumables, other research related expenses and a contribution to the postgraduate student’s stipend.
Funder deadline
08 May 2026
Faculty of Health Sciences important dates, events, workshops and seminars.