OVERVIEW: The Burroughs Wellcome Fund broadly funds research in the biomedical sciences. Its main grant making goals are supporting early- and mid-career scientists and advancing basic biomedical science.
IP TAKE: The Burroughs Wellcome Fund emphasizes curiosity-driven research in health sciences and biomedicine. The majority of large Wellcome grants last several years, and it does not award a large number of grants out of each of its programs each year. Recent funding has prioritized collaborative and multi-disciplinary projects. While grants are highly competitive, it is worth noting that this funder is more accessible than some award-focused funders in health fields. Potential applicants are invited to contact the fund directly to discuss the likelihood of an award or to participate in scheduled conference calls. And while the fund accepts applications for most of its grantmaking programs, eligibility, guidelines and due dates vary significantly by program.
PROFILE: With roots in 19th-century England, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund was established in the U.S. in 1955, as an outgrowth of the successful philanthropy the pharmaceutical company had begun in England. It was affiliated for decades with Henry Wellcome’s drug enterprise, until a generous gift from the Wellcome Trust (in the U.K). enabled it to become independent from the business in 1993. It now distributes grants through a wide range of focus areas, including Biomedical Sciences, Infectious Diseases, Interfaces in Science, Regulatory Science, Translational Research, Climate Change, Career Guidance, Diversity in Science, Institutional Programs and Science Education.
Grants for Diseases
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund typically awards disease-related grants out of the following programs:
Biomedical Sciences: This program invests in “the development of the next generation of academic medical scientists” by “providing funding to help bridge the gap between the postdoctoral and early faculty years.” The program consists of separate awards for scientists at various stages of their careers and working in various areas of biomedicine.
Infectious Diseases: The fund’s primary focus here is on “…human-pathogen interactions in these infectious diseases.” Wellcome awards $500,000 over five years to researchers studying pathogenesis, focusing on the interaction between human and microbial biology.
Interfaces in Science: The fund offers career awards for researchers with backgrounds in physical, chemical or computational science who are addressing biological topics.
Regulatory Science: This program awards grants for up to $500,000 over five years for studying regulatory science informing how medical regulatory decisions are made.
Grants for Science Research and STEM Higher Education
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund funds a range of awards and prizes for early career scientists, medical students, and student researchers.
Career Award for Medical Scientists: This award is a “$700,000 award for physician-scientists who are between postdoctoral and independent research. A complete list of current awards is available at the fund’s website.
Diversity in Science Program seeks to provide training and opportunities for underrepresented doctoral and postdoctoral minority scientists.
The fund’s Infectious Diseases program’s Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease award offers “$500,000 over five years to support accomplished investigators at the assistant professor level” who “focus primarily on the interplay between human and microbial biology.”
Career Awards of the Scientific Interface: a grant of “$500,000 over five years to bridge advanced postdoctoral training and the first three years of faculty service” to scientists with backgrounds in “physics, mathematics, computer science, and engineering who want to explore the new frontier of biology.”
Innovation in Regulatory Science: This program gives grantees upwards of “$500,000 over five years” towards working on “new methodologies or innovative approaches in regulatory science that will ultimately inform the regulatory decisions the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and others make.”
Finally, the Translational Research grant program is dedicated to “providing early-career support for physician scientists.” Grants are primarily six-figure, multi-year, and average around $500,000.
Grants for Climate Change and Public Health
The Burroughs Wellcome fund’s newest area of funding concerns the intersection of climate change and health. Awards include:
Climate and Health Interdisciplinary Awards individual scientists and/or research teams pursuing research on “assessing or mitigating the impacts of climate change on human health.” The fund prioritizes collaborative work and research by “Early career faculty and postdoctoral fellows nearing their transition to independence.” Grants are awarded in the amount of $375,000 to be disbursed over three years.
Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grants “promote the growth of new connections between scholars, practitioners, educators, and/or communicators working to understand, spread the word about, and mitigate the impacts of climate change on human health.” One-year grants range between $2,500 and $50,000. Through the application process the fund may suggest “that separate groups of applicants submitting similar proposals work together to develop a single proposal or that applicants consider becoming involved in efforts aligned with work funded in earlier quarters.”
Important Grant Details:
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s grant amounts vary significantly depending on the program. The foundation accepts applications for most of its programs, with upcoming deadlines posted on individual grant program pages. Grantseekers should review program guidelines carefully, as requirements and deadlines will vary.
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