(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.

(https://www.thrasherresearch.org/early-career-award)

The Thrasher Research Fund is soliciting applications for the Early Career Awards scheme.  The purpose of this program is to encourage the development of researchers in child health by awarding small grants to new researchers, helping them gain a foothold in this important area. The Fund is open to a wide variety of research topics, but all funded projects deal directly with children's health.

In the Early Career Award Program, the Fund is particularly interested in applicants that show great potential to impact that field of children's health through medical research. Both an applicant's aptitude and inclination toward research are considered. The quality of the mentor and the mentoring relationship are also considered to be important predictors of success.
 

Eligibility  

• Clinicians who are in a residency/fellowship training program, or who completed that program no more than one year before the Concept Paper deadline.

• Post-doctoral researchers who received the doctoral level degree no more than three years before the Concept Paper deadline

• Each project needs to be under the guidance of a mentor. The qualifications and experience of the mentor will be considered in the evaluation of the application. A mentor may have only one Thrasher Research Fund Early Career Awardee at a time.
   

Award details    

• The grant amount is based on the actual budgetary needs of the project, with a maximum of $25,000 in direct costs for the entire grant

• The duration of the project can be up to two years

Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval

Funder deadline:  

Concept submission deadline: 1 September 2026

Submit your proposal by 31 July and help shape the #IBRO2027 scientific program.

Apply here

(https://www.ssrc.org/programs/the-lego-foundation-fellowship/application-details/)

The LEGO Foundation Fellowship, administered by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), is a global research fellowship supporting early- and mid-career researchers working to advance understanding of how children learn, develop, and thrive. The fellowship provides flexible funding to enable researchers to pursue ambitious, interdisciplinary, and policy-relevant research, with a strong emphasis on translating evidence into practice.
The programme focuses on child development and wellbeing across diverse contexts, including:
• Early childhood development
• Education and learning systems
• Child mental health and wellbeing
• Public health and caregiving environments
• Children in crisis, conflict, and humanitarian settings
Fellows will also join a global cohort, enabling collaboration, knowledge exchange, and engagement with policy and practice communities.

Eligibility   

The fellowship is open to early- and mid-career researchers globally employed by a university or research institute.
Applicants must:
• Hold a PhD (or equivalent research doctorate) at time of application
• Have been awarded their PhD no earlier than 1 January 2016
• Be employed by a university or research institution at the start of the fellowship
• Propose research aligned with child development and children’s wellbeing themes
 

Award details    

• USD 300,000 over three years

Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval

Funder deadline:  

31 July 2026

(https://researchscholars.gilead.com/public_health/about)

The Gilead Research Scholars Program supports innovative research from emerging investigators around the world to incorporate new perspectives in pursuit of scientific understanding and progress. This program is exclusively focused on implementation science and clinical epidemiology focused on HIV and/or viral hepatitis, with the aim of strengthening aspects of the care cascade.

Eligibility  

• Hold an MD/MBChB/MBBS, PhD or equivalent degree at time of award
• No more than 10 years have elapsed since the degree was awarded
• Currently working with an academic research institution or public health organization (e.g. Department of Health or within a hospital) and be on track to achieving a Researcher appointment, faculty appointment or other equivalent positions
• Have a strong interest in public health research focused on HIV and/or viral hepatitis
• Have a research mentor with extensive experience in the field of HIV and/or viral hepatitis or expertise in a discipline relevant to implementation science e.g., economics, engineering, psychology, anthropology etc.
• Be able to devote approximately 50% of professional time to research for the next two years (versus administrative, patient care or teaching responsibilities)
• Be able to complete the proposed research within the two-year award period
   

Award details    

• Up to $100,000 for two years

Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval

Funder deadline:  

28 August 2026

(https://www.samrc.ac.za/funding/samrc-researcher-development-programme-phd-research-funding-clinical-medical-or-health)

The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) is soliciting applications through its Clinician-Researcher Development Porgramme. This funding instrument is intended to support individuals employed at public academic institutions, SAMRC intramural and extramural research units, and SAMRC research centres, who are engaged in health, medical or clinical research, to improve their academic qualifications. This once-off award is aimed at emerging researchers in the final 12 months of their PhD studies and is intended to alleviate pressures that may hinder the timely completion of the degree. The funds can be used to afford dedicated time to spend on research activities, either as a salary while on unpaid leave or to pay for work relief, or any other justified intervention that will facilitate PhD completion. Priority will be given to applicants who demonstrate a high likelihood of successful completion within 12 months of being awarded funding, including those with a strong publication track record or at least one accepted publication arising from their PhD research. The programme targets designated groups and is expected to increase the number of academics with PhD degrees as part of overall research capacity strengthening and transformation

Eligibility  

• South African citizen or permanent resident.
• Full-time employees of public academic institutions in South Africa or SAMRC researchers.
• Officially approved research proposal and ethics clearance (where applicable) for the PhD project.
• Must have at least one accepted publication emanating from their PhD studies.
• Must complete their thesis write-up within twelve (12) months from the date of commencement of the award.
• Research abstract to be provided.
• Full research proposal to be provided.

Please see RFA for more information

Award details    

• R250,000, for up to 12 months

Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval

Funder deadline:  

18August 2026

The Groote Schuur Hospital Clinical Ethics Committee is now up and running. 

If you require ethical guidance or support, please reach out to us through VULA. 

For enquiries, contact heidi.matisonn@uct.ac.za or jackie.hoare@uct.ac.za.

(https://professional.dkms.org/research-publications/impact-grant)

DKMS, an international non-profit organisation dedicated to improving outcomes for patients with blood cancer and other blood disorders, invites applications for the DKMS Impact Grant 2027. The programme supports emerging physicians and scientists in low- and middle-income regions to develop research or sustainable implementation projects that improve access to diagnosis, treatment, management of complications, and supportive care for patients with malignant and non-malignant haematological diseases.

Projects may be:
• Research projects that generate actionable knowledge; or
• Sustainable implementation projects that develop scalable, long-term approaches to improving patient care.

Eligibility  

• Open to emerging physicians and scientists in the field of haematology.
• Researchers with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Principal Investigator.

Award details    

• Up to €120,000 per project, for 2years (with the possibility of a 2-year extension for outstanding projects)

Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval

Funder deadline:  

Letter of Intent deadline: 31 August 2026

(https://scienceforafrica.foundation/funding/call-expressions-interest-hosting-gen-impact-sub-study-within-apcc-cohorts)

The Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation), through the African Population Cohorts Consortium (APCC), invites Expressions of Interest for hosting a GEN-IMPACT cohort-embedded sub-study. The call aims to identify APCC cohorts and African-led research teams to collaborate on genomics research that addresses locally relevant health priorities through harmonised phenotyping, biospecimen collection, and genomic analyses. cascade.

Eligibility  

• Open to African institutions, research organisations, population cohorts, or research consortia, including human genomics researchers who are not currently part of APCC.
• Proposed sub-studies must be embedded within an APCC population cohort, or a cohort that has applied for APCC membership before submission.
• Applications led by researchers outside the cohort network must include a formal collaboration with the relevant APCC cohort leadership or designated investigators.
• Proposed projects should demonstrate:
  • Scientific and public health relevance;
  • Strong collaborative partnerships;
  • Capacity to implement genomics research within an established population cohort;
  • Commitment to ethical research, responsible data sharing, equitable collaboration, and long-term capacity strengthening. 

Award details    

• Funding amount to be determined at the full proposal stage
• Five-year project period

Please see full REOI call document for more information

Application process:
The application process consists of two stages:

1. Submit an Expression of Interest through the Science for Africa Foundation’s Agaseke Grants Management System. No eRA approval required for this stage
2. Invitation to submit a full application. Applicants who are invited to submit a full proposal should contact the FHS Research Development Team for internal deadlines. eRA approval will be required for the full application stage.

Funder deadline:
Expression of Interest deadline: 14 August 2026

(https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/grant/global-science-summit-programme-2026/)

The Novo Nordisk Foundation invites applications for the Global Science Summit Programme 2026, which supports interdisciplinary, international collaborative research aimed at developing scalable, science-based solutions to improve the early detection and long-term management of cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs). The programme focuses on projects that leverage digital technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and health data to address global health challenges.

Eligibility  

• Applications must be submitted by a collaboration consisting of 2–3 research groups (one main applicant and one or two co-applicants).
• Collaborations must demonstrate:
  • Interdisciplinary expertise;
  • Contextual understanding of the proposed research;
  • International engagement (co-applicants may be from different countries and disciplines).
• Projects should address one or more of the following:
  • Earlier detection of cardiometabolic diseases in high-risk populations;
  • Integration of screening and follow-up into existing health services;
  • Patient-centred strategies to improve treatment adherence;
  • Health system innovations that support management of multiple cardiometabolic diseases and their comorbidities.
• Proposed innovations should be beyond the conceptual stage but not yet fully mature or implemented.
   

Award details    

• Up to DKK 50 million (approximately USD 7.2 million), for 1-3 years

Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval

Funder deadline:  

01 September 2026