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.   

Award details:  
Up to eight years of project expenses   

Eligibility:  

Established researchers  

Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval.

Funder deadline:  

08 April 2025 

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.  

Award details  

Up to 8 years and applicants may request a salary   

Eligibility  

Mid-Career Researchers 

Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval.

Funder deadline:  

03 April 2025 

The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) have funding opportunities available for research projects, and invite applications for fundingto the following projects/programmes: 

Type A projects 
The purpose of this funding is to support high-quality research to advance management and improve outcomes for the most common cancers in South Africa. 

Type B projects 
The focus is on environmental/ lifestyle-related risk reduction and helping the public to make healthy choices to reduce their risk of cancer. 

Type C projects 
The focus is on optimising services to cancer patients and addressing their diverse needs including early detection, recognition of signs and symptoms of cancer and pathways to cancer treatment and care. 

Award details  

• Type A projects: Up to R1 million per year, for three years. 

• Type B and C projects: Up to R60 000 per year. 

Eligibility  

•Type A projects: Aimed at MBChB and PhD cancer researchers based at South African universities and research organisations. 

•Type B and C projects: Aims to support emerging researchers within the cancer research field. 

Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval    

Funder deadlines:  

Type A projects: 30 April 2025 

Type B/C projects: There are no deadlines that applicants would need to adhere to for submission as applications are accepted throughout the year  

The University Equipment Committee seeks to advance, extend, and support the research equipment infrastructure of UCT in concert with the research strategies of UCT, the faculties and departments. Equipment may be defined as a facility or system that is used for research purposes and that provides experimental, analytical, processing, testing, measurement, storing, housing, preparation, performative or recording capabilities. The UEC considers applications for funding of either single, or multiple items of equipment which together constitute a coherent unit. 

Award details 

Refer to application form R&I18 for details 

Eligibility 

• Permanent academic staff 

• Academic staff on T2 contracts of at least 5 years 

• Joint PGWC/UCT academic staff in Health Sciences on UCT Conditions of Service (excluding registrars).  

Submission deadline  
23 May 2025  

Download the full call for more information and the R&I18 form to apply 

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. 

Award details  
PI salary for up to five years and up to £400 000 for research purposes. 

Eligibility  
Early-Career Researchers 

Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval.    

Funder deadline:  
Three deadlines annually, with the next one for 2025 being 22 May 

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is seeking applications for Call two of the Global Health Research (GHR) Development Awards. The strategic aims of the GHR Development Awards programme are to:  

• Support the development of high-quality research proposals led by researchers in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) which directly target local needs and priorities. 

• Build global health research capacity and capability by supporting underpinning work to develop high-quality research proposals that will help award holders and their organisations secure further research funding from the NIHR and other funders. 

• Promote the development of equitable and sustainable research partnerships among collaborators, including communities and community organisations based in ODA-eligible countries. 

 Award details  
Up to £100,000 over 12 months 

Eligibility  

• Applicants must hold a substantive position at a Higher Education Institution or Research Institute in an ODA-eligible country, lasting the full period of the proposed GHR Development Award 

• Researchers with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Principal Investigator   

Funder webinar for Applicants on the 5th March 2025- Registration Link . 

Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval   

Funder deadline:  
09 April 2025 

The Cancer Grand Challenges is a global research initiative that identifies the toughest challenges in cancer research. By daring global teams of multidisciplinary researchers to come together and think differently, this programme aims to find bold new solutions to challenges which have confounded scientists for many years. 

The seven new challenges now open for applications are:  

1. AI-human collaboration in cancer 

2. Cancer avoidance 

3. The dark proteome 

4. Mechanisms driving mutational signatures 

5. The nervous system and cancer 

6. Rewiring cancer cells 

7. TME dynamics 

Award details  
Awards of up to £20m ($25m) are available  

Eligibility  

A diverse team of multidisciplinary researchers, based in different countries, with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as a Principal Investigator with Co-Investigators 

Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval    

Funder deadline:  
Expression of Interest:18 June 2025 

The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (RSTMH) is seeking applications for the Early Career Grants Programme. The overall aim of the programme is to encourage and inspire the next generation of global health leaders, innovators, and professionals by providing the opportunity for them to carry out projects which could improve tropical medicine or global health. Applications can be on any topic related to tropical medicine and global health, from across the research spectrum of lab, translation, implementation, and policy. 

Award details  
Grants of up to £5,000 are available for a period of one year 

Eligibility  
Early career researchers 

A Guidance Webinar on completing an application to the 2025 programme will be hosted on 26 March, 12.00-1.30PM GMT.  Register attendance for the webinar 

Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval    

Funder deadline:  
14 May 2025 

The Spencer Foundation Small Research Grants on Education Program supports education research projects that will contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived. This program is “field-initiated” in that proposal submissions are not in response to a specific request for a particular research topic, discipline, design, method, or location.   

The goal for this program is to support rigorous, intellectually ambitious, and technically sound research that is relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities in education. This program supports proposals from multiple disciplinary and methodological perspectives, both domestically and internationally, from scholars at various stages in their career. It is anticipated that proposals will span a wide range of topics and disciplines that innovatively investigate questions central to education, including for example education, anthropology, philosophy, psychology, sociology, law, economics, history, or neuroscience, amongst others. 

Award details  

• Proposed budgets for this program are limited to US$50,000 total.  

• Projects proposed may not be longer than 5 years in duration.  

Eligibility  

• Proposals must be for academic research projects that aim to study education.  

• Proposals for activities other than research are not eligible. 

• Proposals for research studies focused on areas other than education, are not eligible.  

• Principal Investigators (PIs) and Co-PIs applying must have a doctorate in an academic discipline or professional field, or appropriate experience in an education research-related profession. 

Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval    

Funder deadline:  
16 April 2025 

The Wellcome Trust is seeking applications for the Mental Health Award: Advancing target validation for novel mental health drug discovery. This call will provide funding for validation activities for novel targets with a clear therapeutic concept and strong biological rationale related to early intervention in anxiety, depression and/or psychosis. Funded proposals will generate data supporting the target’s therapeutic potential in the development of new and improved pharmacological treatments. 

 Award details  
Up to £700,000 per project, for up to two years. 

Eligibility  
Researchers with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Principal Investigator.   

Download the PDF outlining UCT’s deadlines for internal approval.  

Funder deadline:  
15 April 2025 

The National Research Foundation (NRF) is seeking applications for Postdoctoral Fellowships (2026) 

Award details 
R320 000 per annum for two years. 

Download the application form for more information.

Deadline 
07 April 2025