Seed Awards in Humanities and Social Science 2018, UK

Seed Awards in Humanities and Social Science

Seed Awards help researchers develop compelling and innovative ideas that will go on to form part of larger grant applications to Wellcome or elsewhere. The current funding round is on the theme of artificial intelligence.

Who can apply

You can apply for a Seed Award if you're a researcher who wants to develop a compelling and innovative idea that will go on to form part of a larger grant application to Wellcome or elsewhere. For the current funding round, applications that explore the ethical, social and political challenges of using artificial intelligence in healthcare and biomedical research are welcomed.

You must:

have a PhD or the equivalent professional experience
be based at an eligible host organization in the UK, Republic of Ireland or a low- or middle-income country (although collaborators can be based elsewhere)
have enough time to commit to the award.

The award is open to applicants with or without established academic posts. Researchers who are at the start of their independent careers are encouraged to apply. You can have collaborators, but you can't submit a joint application with another person. Read about the people who’ve been awarded Seed Awards.

Research proposal

Seed Awards give researchers the opportunity to use innovative methodologies and carry out a broad range of activities, such as:

pilot and scoping studies
preliminary data gathering
proof-of-principle studies
planning sessions
collaborative network meetings.

It will be reviewed:

how your idea addresses the challenges outlined in the artificial intelligence themed call
the potential for your proposed research to make a significant advance in your field
your track record as a researcher, relative to your career stage
the feasibility of your approach and its likely outcomes
the suitability of your research environment.

Who can't apply

You can't apply if you are currently undertaking a Master's or a PhD. Also, you can't apply for funding for:

an existing, rather than a new, research project
a standalone project, with no follow-on plans.

Before you apply

Read about our current theme on the ethical, social and political challenges of using artificial intelligence in healthcare and biomedical research, based on a report commissioned from Future Advocacy https://wellcome.ac.uk/sites/default/files/ai-in-health-ethical-social-political-challenges.pdf.

Submit your full application

You must submit your application through Grant Tracker. View the Sample full application form for Seed Awards and Small Grants in Humanities and Social Science

Review and decision

First Wellcome staff will determine the eligibility, suitability and competitiveness of all proposals. Then a committee of internal and external experts will assess the applications. The names of committee members are not proveded as they are selected after the applications have been reviewed by Wellcome staff. They will be specialists in the research areas of the applications received. There are no interviews. The aim is to give you a decision within nine weeks of the application deadline. In general, unsuccessful candidates are not given detailed written feedback.

Dates

Applications are considered once a year. You must submit your application by 17:00 (GMT/BST) on the deadline day. Late applications are not accepted

The offer

Seeds Awards are usually between £25,000 and £100,000. Most Seed Awards are for 12 to 18 months. Your salary will be paid if you don’t have an established academic post. All costs must be fully justified. Support can include:

a salary or research/teaching replacement

If you don’t hold an established academic post,your salary will be paid. If you do, you can ask for funds for research or teaching replacement to cover the cost of a temporary replacement lecturer. Costs:

can cover up to 40% of your contracted time
are usually for someone more junior than you
can be spread across the full period of your grant.

research expenses, including costs for a researcher or consultant

staff
materials and consumables
animals
equipment
access charges
research management and support costs
travel and subsistence
publication costs
other costs

conference and meeting costs

You can ask us to cover the costs of attending relevant scientific and academic meetings. Costs can include registration fees and travel expenses. You can also ask for a contribution towards the cost of hosting a conference (or a session within a conference), symposia or seminar series, if it’s for research purposes (eg data gathering) or to disseminate the findings from your research. The meeting should normally be based in the UK or Republic of Ireland and can include: