---
title: "Wellcome Trust"
chunk: 2/2
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellcome_Trust"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:35:18.459047+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

=== Support for open access and open data ===
The Wellcome Trust plays an important role in encouraging publication of research in open access repositories such as Europe PubMed Central (EuropePMC). The Wellcome Trust believes that maximising the distribution of these papers – by providing free, online access – is the most effective way of ensuring that the research can be accessed, read and built upon. In turn, this will foster a richer research culture.
In 2016, the Wellcome Trust partnered with the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to launch the Open Science Prize to "help develop services, tools and platforms that enable open content to be discovered, assessed and re-used in ways that will advance discovery and spark innovation."
In 2016, Wellcome Trust announced that it would be launching Wellcome Open Research, an open access publication system running on the F1000 Research platform. Article processing charges will be covered directly by Wellcome Trust. Papers from the system are now indexed in PubMed Central.

=== Membership in the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT) ===
In the summer of 2015, the Wellcome Trust joined the Japanese government, 7 Japanese pharmaceutical and diagnostics companies, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the United Nations Development Program as funding partner of the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT), which funds scientific research and development for anti-infectives and diagnostics for diseases that primarily affect the developing world.

=== Public engagement and the Wellcome Collection ===

In June 2007, the Wellcome Building reopened after refurbishment as a public venue, housing the Wellcome Collection, the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at University College London and the Wellcome Library. The aim of the Wellcome Collection is to enhance public understanding of medical science and history. The building contains gallery spaces, conference facilities, space for debates, drama and workshops, a café and a bookshop. The galleries show a small sample of works from Sir Henry Wellcome's collection, and host a programme of events and exhibitions. The Wellcome Collection and exhibitions are open to the public free of charge six days a week.
The Wellcome Collection and Wellcome Library are members of the London Museums of Health & Medicine.

==== Wellcome Photography Prize ====
The Wellcome Trust runs an annual photography prize which aims to explore "the human side of three urgent health challenges". Judges in 2021 include Dr Dixon Chabanda, Sir Jeremy Farrar, Dr Katerina Srahulkova and Azu Nwagbogu. Winners in each category receive a prize of £10,000.

==== Wellcome Book Prize ====

The Wellcome Trust sponsors an annual book prize, the Wellcome Book Prize, which "aims to excite public interest and encourage debate" around medicine and health.

=== Wellcome Global Monitor ===
In June 2019, Wellcome released the results of the 2018 global survey on public attitudes toward science and health. Topics include trust of scientists, doctors, and nurses; religion and science, and vaccines, among others. It was Wellcome's first Global Monitor and was intended to "provide robust evidence on how public attitudes vary across different demographic groups and countries."

== Investments ==
In August 2014, the Wellcome Trust bought the Co-operative Group's farm business (renamed Farmcare) for £249 million. This comprised "15,997 hectares (39,533 acres) of freehold and third party owned land, 15 farms, including three pack houses, over 100 residential properties, and 27 commercial properties."
In 2015, the trust bought the Premier Marinas group.

== Criticisms ==
It has been reported that the Wellcome Trust has billions of investments in companies related to the problems the philanthropy wants to solve. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the trust has investments in pharmaceutical companies involved in the development and delivery of treatments for COVID-19, which means it has the potential to gain financially where those treatments are monetised.
The Wellcome Trust has been criticised for seeking to develop large scale housing estates on green countryside in the South of England as part of its investment portfolio. Campaign groups  consider that environmental destruction from overdevelopment, alongside concerns over the ability of rural services such as drainage, healthcare and education to cope with increased levels of development, is contributing to the destruction of rural life and generating the type of mental stress issues the charity is supposed to be combating.

== Directors ==
Peter Williams, 1967–1991
Bridget Ogilvie, 1991–1998
Michael Dexter, 1998–2003
Mark Walport, 2003–2013
Jeremy Farrar, 2013–2023
John-Arne Røttingen, 2024–

== See also ==
Heads of International Research Organizations
List of wealthiest charitable foundations

== References ==

== External links ==

Official website
Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC)
Other Wellcome Trust websites
Scientific Conferences supported by the Wellcome Trust
Ex Memoria – Wellcome Trust Awarded Film
Surgery Live, a Wellcome Collection collaboration with Channel 4
European Society for Clinical Microbioloy and Infectious Diseases
Federation of European Biochemical Societies
European Federation of Pharmaceutical Societies
International Society for Infectious Diseases