Wellcome Trust Foundation — Climate Impacts Awards: Unlocking Urgent Climate Action by Making the Health Effects of Climate Change Visible

The aim of this scheme is to make the impacts of climate change on physical and mental health visible to drive urgent climate policy action at scale. We will fund transdisciplinary teams to deliver short-term, high impact projects that can drive policy impact by combining evidence generation (or synthesis) with influencing and engagement strategies.

Visit the Wellcome Trust Foundation website for more information on the Climate Impact Awards.

Value and Duration

Up to  £2.5 million per award, for up to three years.

Eligibility

The lead application must:

• Be mid-career or established career, as defined on the Wellcome Trust Scheme.
• Be a team leader who wants to advance transdisciplinary research on the impacts of climate change on health and has experience leading transdisciplinary teams.
• Have prior experience of conducting policy-relevant research, engaging appropriate policy partners in climate and/or health and an established policy network.
• Have knowledge brokering skills such as the ability to bring together research teams and policy makers and/or impacted communities.
• Actively foster a diverse, inclusive and supportive research environment within their team and across their organization. 
• You can only be a lead applicant on one application and a co-applicant on another.
• You can be a co-applicant on two applications; you must demonstrate that you have sufficient capacity for both projects if funded.
• The applications should be for different projects with no overlap of activities.

Co-applicants are required.

• Teams must consist of one lead applicant and at least one co-applicant; must not exceed one lead applicant and seven co-applicants.
• There must be at least one applicant based at each study site in multi-site projects.
• There is no limit to the number of collaborators, but all team members must be essential to the delivery of the project.

You cannot apply if you are already an applicant on two applications for this funding call, or if you have already applied for, or hold, the maximum number of Wellcome awards for your career stage.

Scope of Research

Proposals must address:

• Current or future physical or mental health outcomes — direct or environmentally mediated — linked to climate change. These outcomes may be physical or mental health (both are not required).
• Include assessment of economic analysis that strengthens our understanding of the economic implications of climate‑related health impacts.
• Clearly incorporate three key elements:
  • Identify an evidence gap that can be addressed within a 12 to 18 month research window.
  • Demonstrate a pathway to influence change, including a clear theory of change, identification of relevant policy stakeholders, and articulation of how project activities, outputs, and communication strategies will support policy stakeholders’ engagement.
  • Use an engaged research approach, involving policy stakeholders and community partners throughout the entire project design (including proposal design, not only in specific research activities), with co‑design approach embedded from the outset.
• Make it clear why funding is required and describe who will be using the funds.

Improper scope:

• Advocacy focused on a specific issue rather than concrete policy opportunities.
• The three key elements listed above are not articulated.
• Primary focus of research is on:
  • Evaluation of an intervention.
  • Socially mediated health effects.
  • Current or future health effects attributed to the consequences of climate change (mitigation or adaptation).
  • Impact of climate change on health systems.

Scope check: If you are unsure about the scope of your proposed research, please email climateimpacts@wellcome.org before March 6, 2026 with a description of your project (maximum 200 words). Include “2026 Climate Impact Awards” in the subject line.

Deadlines

Information Session

A virtual funding webinar was held on February 23, 2026. The recording will be posted on the Wellcome Trust Scheme.

Submitting Your Application

1. Log in to cuResearch and submit an internal Carleton Approval Form. Review the cuResearch user’s manual.
2. Submit an external application to the Wellcome Trust Foundation through their funding portal.
   • The researcher submits their proposal through the portal. The Office of the Vice-President (Research, Innovation and International) (OVPRII) must review and approve this submission via the portal.
   • Once the proposal submission is approved by OVPRII, the proposal will be submitted to the Wellcome Trust.
   • Download the application questions. Please ensure enough time for review; submit your completed proposal in the portal by March 25, 2026.

Contact Us

• Carleton International — Internationally Sponsored Research: international.research@cunet.carleton.ca
• Katie Harriman — Research Facilitator, Institutional Initiatives: katieharriman@cunet.carleton.ca