Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Award: Optimising Interventions for Impact

  • Start Date:

  • Deadline:

  • Agency:
    Wellcome Trust

The Office of Grants and Research (OGR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), invites eligible research teams to apply for the Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Award: Optimising Interventions for Impact, offered by the Wellcome Trust. This programme supports large-scale randomised controlled trials aimed at improving the effectiveness of existing infectious disease interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Programme Overview
This funding opportunity is designed for transdisciplinary teams to conduct clinical trials that optimise the use of licensed vaccines or therapeutics. The goal is to generate robust evidence that can directly influence health policy, clinical practice, and treatment guidelines, leading to measurable improvements in disease prevention and management in high-burden settings.

Key Details

  • Funder: Wellcome Trust

  • Funding Type: Grant (Clinical Trial Award)

  • Funding Amount: £1,000,000 – £8,000,000 per project

  • Submission Deadline: 2 June 2026

  • Eligible Applicants: Organisations based in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, South Asia, or South-East Asia (excluding mainland China)

Eligibility

  • Applications must be led by a research team based in an eligible LMIC

  • Teams should be transdisciplinary, including relevant scientific, clinical, and public health expertise

  • The administering organisation must be able to meet Wellcome’s grant conditions and policies

Applicants must also demonstrate:

  • Proven capacity to design and conduct randomised controlled trials

  • Strong leadership and project management experience

  • Ability to engage policy makers, healthcare stakeholders, and affected communities

  • Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusive research practices

Funding Scope

The award supports:

  • Implementation of randomised controlled trials

  • Optimisation of licensed pharmaceutical interventions (vaccines or therapeutics)

  • Generation of evidence to inform policy, guidelines, and clinical practice

  • Activities that lead to measurable health impact in affected communities

Research Focus Areas

Projects must focus on infectious diseases such as:

  • Mycobacterial infections (e.g., tuberculosis, leprosy)

  • Bacterial infections (e.g., respiratory or bloodstream infections, STIs)

  • Invasive fungal infections

  • Neglected tropical diseases (e.g., dengue, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis)

Selection Criteria

Applications will be assessed based on:

  • Scientific quality and potential impact of the clinical trial

  • Strength and relevance of the research team and partnerships

  • Likelihood of influencing policy, practice, or health guidelines

  • Level of stakeholder and community engagement

How to Apply
Applicants should review the full call guidelines and submit proposals via the Wellcome funding platform before the deadline:
https://wellcome.org/research-funding/schemes/infectious-diseaseclinical-trial-award-optimising-interventions-impact#eligible-countries-for-youradministering-organisation-8a0c

Applicants are encouraged to develop proposals that demonstrate a clear pathway to impact, including how trial findings will translate into policy change and improved health outcomes in LMICs.