Pre-award:  Funds seeking |  Proposal development and approval |  Proposal submission |  Contracting
Post-award:  Project setup and management |  Project closure
Summaries:  Roles and responsibilities |  Resources |  Contacts

Wellcome requires ethics approval before any work on the research project can commence. If you have not yet obtained ethics approval, follow UCT's ethics approval process.

Wellcome requires that all funded researchers and organisations conduct their work responsibly, supported by institutional policies, structures and training. 

Before you can commence work on the research project, you need to have attended UCT's Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training. Visit the Office of Research Integrity page for details on upcoming Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training sessions.

Consult Wellcome's page on Responsible conduct of research for clarity on Wellcome's expectations.

Carefully review the award letter, including approved budget, start and end dates and special conditions. Note which costs are covered and how Wellcome expects you to report on grant spending.

Review Wellcome's funding guidance Managing your grant to understand how Wellcome expects you to manage and conduct the research project. UCT, as the administering organisation, must comply with Wellcome's Funding policies and grant conditions.

If the project is a clinical trial, familiarise yourself with Wellcome's Clinical trials policy.

Develop a clear and practical Data Management and Outputs Management Plan. This plan should outline how you will handle the data, software and research materials the project will produce. This plan is a living document and will evolve as the research progresses.

Make sure the plan: 

• Supports open access and sharing wherever possible, in line with Wellcome’s policies
• Explains how you will manage intellectual property and protect sensitive information if needed
• Describe what outputs you expect to generate, e.g. datasets, code, materials
• Details how and when others will be able to access these outputs, under what licences and through which platforms
• Includes any resources you will need, such as staff time or tools, to manage and share the outputs effectively
• Reflects Wellcome’s commitment to maximising health impact and reducing environmental harm

If you are unsure where to start, check Wellcome’s data, software and materials sharing guidance on How to complete an outputs management plan or email UCT’s Digital Libraries team for support.

You are responsible for employing any staff required for your research project, ensuring all roles are included in the UCT and funder-approved budget.

Work with the Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) and Faculty Finance for all staffing requirements.

Start this process early as the recruitment and/or appointment process at UCT may take some time.

Visit Wellcome’s Managing your grant for full details on what they fund and to access the required forms.

Track expenses to avoid overspending and underspending.  

You can make minor budget transfers between headings without Wellcome approval. However, you must contact Wellcome before transferring funds to or from:

• A fellow's salary
• A student stipend
• The grant holder's salary (for Early Career Development Awards)

Note: Check the award letter as some funds like salaries, overseas allowances, recruitment supplements, overheads and co-funded grants may not be used for other activities.

Notify Wellcome if there are:

• Significant changes in research staffing
• Major changes in equipment or animal use
• Unused overseas allowances due to time spent abroad being less than expected
• Plans to use overheads, research management or public engagement funds for other purposes

UCT uses a spend report for managing Wellcome grants. This means that grant funds are paid over to UCT quarterly and in arrears, i.e. after the money has been spent and reported to Wellcome.

The quarterly claim periods are as follows:

1. January – March with report due in April to June
2. April – June with report due in July to September
3. July – September with report due in October to December
4. October – December with report due in January to March

The Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) Research Finance team is responsible for submitting quarterly spend reports for all Wellcome grants at UCT. Reports are submitted via the Wellcome Funding Platform.

At the end of each quarter, the Faculty of Health Sciences Research Finance team downloads a list of eligible grants from the Wellcome Funding Platform. For example, for the April–June quarter, the list will be downloaded in the first week of July.

Using this list, the team emails the relevant finance staff each quarter, requesting their reports. A standard reporting template is provided. The team also provides the required exchange rates for GBP grants. Wellcome requires monthly average rates, which are calculated using Oanda.com.

You and your finance manager/delegated signatory sign the claim, and it is returned to the FHS Research Finance Team for submission.

Once all claims have been received from the finance staff, the Faculty of Health Sciences Research Finance team consolidates them and submits a single claim via the Wellcome Funding Platform.

On occasion, Wellcome may come back with queries on the amounts claimed.

Wellcome makes two payments: 

1. One for GBP grants, which are paid into the GBP CFC account
2. One for ZAR grants, which will be paid into UCT's No.1 account

Payments are usually made 1–2 months after the claims are submitted.

Wellcome will release up to 90% of the grant during the active period. The remaining 10%, referred to as the retention amount, is only paid once the Final Expenditure Report (FER) has been submitted and approved.

For fellows: Wellcome covers the cost of employing fellows for the duration of the grant. 

You are responsible for: 

• Setting the fellow's salary based on the specific guidance of the funding scheme
• Ensuring full-time fellows limit non-research duties such as teaching, clinical work, advisory committees, and external consultancies to no more than 8 hours per week
• Providing an honorary research contract if the fellow's research involves patient contact

For students: Where you have students employed on the research project, the type of support provided by Wellcome depends on the student: 

• Clinical students receive a salary, set by the institution
• All other students receive a stipend

Promote a respectful, inclusive research environment by upholding Wellcome's policies such as the Bullying, harassment, abuse and harm policy, and Equity, diversity and inclusion policy. If you lead or supervise others, set a positive tone, support open communication and act on any concerns. Ensure fair access to opportunities for all team members and be aware that Wellcome may assess these practices through audits or reviews.

Wellcome's Continuing professional development policy sets clear expectations for grant holders.

Engage in at least 10 days of CPD per year (pro rata) to strengthen your research, support your career development and contribute to an inclusive research culture. Keep a clear record of your activities, including:

• Type e.g. workshop, course, mentoring
• Date and duration
• Relevance to your current or future work
• Any reflections or outcomes

Consult UCT's Office of Research Integrity (ORI) for guidance, planning and opportunities.

Engage in Continued Professional Development (CPD) 

Wellcome's Continuing professional development policy sets clear expectations for grant holders.

Engage in at least 10 days of CPD per year (pro rata) to strengthen your research, support your career development and contribute to an inclusive research culture. Keep a clear record of your activities, including:

• Type e.g. workshop, course, mentoring
• Date and duration
• Relevance to your current or future work
• Any reflections or outcomes

Consult UCT's Office of Research Integrity for guidance and opportunities.

Conduct research responsibly, ensuring ongoing ethical compliance

As a Wellcome-funded researcher, you must follow their guidelines and policies provided to ensure your work meets the highest ethical standards. The following Wellcome policies and guidelines are relevant:  

• Environmental sustainability funding policy
• Researchers funded by the tobacco industry
• Responsible conduct of research
• Open access policy
• Research involving human participants policy
• Use of animals in research policy
• Managing risk of research misuse
• Research misconduct

The Office of Research Integrity offers support on ethics, misconduct prevention and CPD planning.

Proactively manage potential risks  

Manage delays and deviations proactively 

The research project is approved based on clear deliverables, milestones and deadlines, but delays or deviations can happen. 

In certain instances, the grant's end date may need to be adjusted. The end date may change if:  

• You are approved for a no-cost extension
• You are awarded a cost extension for research reasons
• There are changes due to parental or sick leave, or adjustments to working hours  
•  

Note: Wellcome will not approve a no-cost extension and a costed extension on the same award.  

No-cost extensions

No-cost extensions of up to 12 months may be granted if there are remaining funds and the work aligns with the original grant activities. To request an extension, notify RC&I and the faculty finance manager in advance to confirm available funds.

Wellcome requires the following for assessment:

• Proposed new end date
• Justification for the extension
• Proof of sufficient remaining funds
• Assurance that funds are not being diverted from other budget categories.

Submit the request via Wellcome's online form at least 2 months before the original end date. Extensions submitted after the grant end date will not be considered.

Costed extensions 

Wellcome considers requests for supplementary funding and additional time under two categories:

1. Unforeseen events: To complete original objectives when unforeseen issues (e.g., technical failures, recruitment delays) prevent completion and funds are depleted.
2. Research-related: For a new direction that builds on the original grant, such as expanding scope or adding resources.

To request an extension, notify RC&I and the faculty finance manager in advance to confirm available funds. You can request up to 30% of the original award for a costed extension, with a maximum of 12 additional months.

Submit the request via the online form within the final 12 months of the grant and at least 3 months before the original end date. Late requests or those made with more than 12 months remaining will not be considered.

Include the following in your request:

• Amount requested
• Proposed new end date (if applicable)
• Type of supplement (research-related or unforeseen event)
• Justification
• Remaining grant funds
• Confirmation that ring-fenced funds are not being repurposed

Report on the research project 

You will receive an automated email on the anniversary of your funding start date to submit your annual progress report on the Wellcome Funding Platform.

You have four weeks to submit the report. You can assign guest editors to help with the report. No report is required if you are applying for an extension of six months or more or if you are on leave from the grant.

More information, including samples of annual progress reports can be found on Wellcome's webpage How to report grant progress.

• Complete UCT’s Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training
• Ensure ethics approval is in place before starting research
• Read and understand the Wellcome award letter, funder policies and grant conditions
• Set up and maintain a Data Management and Outputs Management Plan (DMP)
• Recruit and support project team members
• Manage day-to-day research and ensure responsible conduct
• Oversee project finances and ensure appropriate use of funds
• Track spending and ensure alignment with approved budget
• Notify Wellcome of significant changes (staffing, budget shifts, project delays)
• Promote a safe, inclusive and respectful work environment
• Complete 10 days of CPD annually (pro rata) and document it
• Submit requests for grant extensions to Wellcome
• Submit annual progress reports via the Wellcome Funding Platform
• Review and sign the quarterly spend reports prepared by finance staff
• Understand Wellcome’s Intellectual Property (IP) policies
• Disseminate findings and log publications

Grant coordinators: Faculty Health Sciences Research Finance

• Download quarterly grant lists, prepare templates and circulate reporting instructions to finance staff (including exchange rates)
• Consolidate all finance staff submissions into one report and submit to Wellcome
• Respond to any Wellcome queries and manage the receipt of payments
• Submit Final Expenditure Report (FER) to Faculty Finance Officer / Research Finance Administrator
• Assist with opening the SAP fund and loading the grant budget
• Advise on eligible vs ineligible costs according to funder rules
• Prepare quarterly spend reports for their assigned WT grants using the provided template and exchange rates shared for GBP grants
• Ensure reports are signed by the PI and the Finance Manager/delegated signatory
• Submit completed reports to the FHS Research Finance team by the required deadline
• Support no-cost or costed extension requests where applicable
• Prepare final expenditure report (FER) on required template and submit to FHS research finance team

Research Contracts and Innovation (RC&I)

•  Provide guidance on intellectual property, collaboration agreements, open access and data sharing policies
• Report any significant IP developments to Wellcome
• Assist with grant transfers (where required)

Human Resource Business Partner (HRBP)

• Support recruitment of grant-funded staff
• Advise on salary scales, contracts and UCT employment policies
• Ensure compliance with UCT’s recruitment procedures
• Assist with onboarding, contract renewals and extensions
• Ensure job descriptions and roles align with the approved budget

Library & Digital Scholarship Services 

• Support researcher in developing and maintaining a Data Management and Output Management Plan (DMP)
• Help align data practices with Wellcome’s expectations
• Advise on open access, data repositories and research outputs
• Assist with selecting tools and platforms for data storage and sharing
• Provide training on FAIR data principles and data curation

Office of Research Integrity (ORI)

• Provide RCR training and related resources
• Promote responsible research practices across the project lifecycle
• Offer support on ethics, misconduct prevention and CPD planning
• Act as a contact point for queries about responsible research conduct

Pre-award:

• Set the terms, conditions and policies governing Wellcome-funded research projects
• Publish funding opportunities through open and call-specific schemes
• Define eligibility criteria for applicants and administering organisations
• Assess applications through expert review and panel interviews
• Issue award decisions and award letters setting out funding terms and conditions

Post-award:

• Require ethics approval before any funded research activity may commence
• Require researchers and institutions to meet standards for responsible conduct of research, including completion of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training
• Operate a spend-and-claim funding model, reimbursing expenditure retrospectively based on approved financial reports
• Set and enforce policies on:
  • Open access publishing
  • Data, software and materials sharing
  • Intellectual property and commercialisation
  • Environmental sustainability
  • Use of animals in research
  • Research misconduct and misuse risks
• Assess and approve requests for:
  • No-cost extensions
  • Costed extensions (up to defined limits and timelines)
  • Grant transfers between institutions
• Releases final payments only once all required final reports are approved
• Assess grant transfers on a case-by-case basis and set conditions for asset and equipment movement

Forms

• Intention to submit: Research funding (UCT)
• UCT Administrative Forms > Central Finance (FM)
  • FM0014 – Application to Open a Research Fund
• UCT Administrative Forms > Human Resources (HR)
  • HR201 – Staff Vacancies Application Form
  • HR202 – Request to commence recruitment process for posts to be advertised
  • HR205- Selection Committees Declaration of Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest
• UCT Ethics Applications forms for human/animal/biosafety approval (faculty-specific), see page eRA Ethics Management
• RCR Training Registration form (mandatory before starting Wellcome-funded research)
• Quarterly Spend Report Template
• No-Cost Extension Request Form (Wellcome portal)
• Costed Extension / Supplementary Funding Request (Wellcome portal)
• Final Expenditure Report (FER) Template (Wellcome Funding Platform login required)
• End-of-Grant Report Form – narrative reporting via Wellcome Platform (annual, +2yr and +5yr updates)
• Wellcome Grant Transfer Request Form

Documents

• Wellcome Award Letter
• UCT Data Management Plan (DMP) template: DMP templates
• Recruitment documentation – contracts, job descriptions, HR approvals (linked to HR201/202).
• Staff training records – RCR certificates, CPD logs
• Financial documentation – invoices, expenditure records, supporting evidence
• Oanda.com Exchange Rate Reports – required for GBP grants
• Quarterly Spend Reports (Wellcome Funding Platform) – submitted by FHS
• Research Finance
• Annual Progress Reports
• End-of-Grant Report Guidance
• OpenUCT Repository
   

Policies and guidelines

• UCT Ethics Approval Process – human, animal, biosafety
• Wellcome Funding policies and grant conditions to access:
  • Responsible Research Conduct
  • Grant Conditions
  • Clinical Trials Policy
  • Data, Software & Materials Sharing
  • CPD Policy
  • Open Access Policy
  • Environmental Sustainability Policy
  • Use of Animals in Research Policy
  • Research Misconduct Policy
  • End-of-Grant Reporting Guidance
  • IP & Commercialisation Policies
  • Grant Transfer Guidance
• UCT HR Policies – recruitment, contracts, employment conditions