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Wellcome has launched the Wellcome Prize for Mental Health Science with Nature, described as the world’s largest prize dedicated to mental health science. The new initiative aims to champion innovation and drive progress in anxiety, depression and psychosis by recognising breakthrough advances that deliver measurable impact.
Professor Miranda Wolpert, Director of Mental Health at Wellcome, said: “We are in the midst of a revolution in mental health science, with groundbreaking advances in research already leading to new ways of understanding and treating mental health problems. The prize will celebrate the amazing new discoveries that are set to transform people’s lives.”
The prize will spotlight interventions that demonstrate meaningful improvements in outcomes, highlighting the growing opportunities within mental health science and the increasing potential for earlier and more effective interventions. According to the organisers, more than a billion people worldwide live with mental health conditions, while global investment and healthcare capacity remain limited. The global median percentage of government health spending on mental health is currently just 2.1%.
Anxiety and depression are now the leading causes of disability worldwide, with only around 9% of people with depression globally receiving adequate treatment. Untreated mental health conditions are also linked to increased risks of physical illness, reduced quality of life and premature mortality, while an estimated 12 billion productive work days are lost annually to anxiety and depression.
Dr Magdalena Skipper, Editor-in-Chief of Nature and Chair of the judging panel, said: “Prevention and treatment of key medical issues such as mental health require robust and trustworthy research from across many disciplines. By spotlighting scientifically rigorous, adoptable solutions, this prize will help accelerate progress and provide a platform to those whose work has the potential to change people’s lives, to have an impact on policy and strengthen practice globally. I am delighted that we are able to partner with Wellcome on this award since showcasing multidisciplinary research that underpins progress lies at the very core of what we do at Nature and in the Nature Portfolio more broadly”.
The prize is now open to research teams and small and medium-sized organisations worldwide, with applications closing on 18 September 2026.
Finalists will be announced in May 2027, with the winner revealed in June 2027. The overall winner will receive USD 1 million, while three finalist teams will each receive USD 250,000, alongside development support designed to help accelerate adoption and policy integration. Entries will be judged against four core criteria: novelty, credibility, effectiveness and adoptability, as well as the strength of lived experience engagement.
The judging panel includes Dr Magdalena Skipper, Professor Chyrell Bellamy of Yale School of Medicine and Obi Felten of Google X and Flourish Labs.