HFSP Research Grants support innovative basic research into fundamental biological problems with emphasis placed on novel and interdisciplinary approaches that involve scientific exchanges across national and disciplinary boundaries (see guidelines).
Participation of scientists from disciplines outside the traditional life sciences such as biophysics, chemistry, computational biology, computer science, engineering, mathematics, nanoscience or physics is recommended because such collaborations have opened up new approaches for understanding the complex structures and regulatory networks that characterize living organisms, their evolution and interactions.
Research grants are provided for teams of scientists from different countries who wish to combine their expertise in innovative approaches to questions that could not be answered by individual laboratories. Preliminary results are not required and applicants are expected to develop new lines of research through the research collaboration.
It is understood that such research inherently contains risks and HFSP expects that teams of applicants address the risks and outline mitigation strategies for their research in case of failure and how they intend to achieve their goals.
Applications for applied research, including medical research typically funded by national medical research bodies, will be deemed ineligible (see guidelines).
Two types of Grant are available: Research Grants – Early Career and Research Grants – Program.
- Research Grants - Early Career*
All team members are expected to direct a research group (however small) and must have a doctoral degree (PhD, MD or equivalent). They must be in a position to initiate and direct their own independent lines of research.The HFSP award is not intended to create scientific independence, this is a decision of the research institute prior to the application. - Research Grants - Program
Awarded to teams of independent researchers at any stage of their careers. The research team is expected to develop new lines of research through the collaboration. Applications including independent investigators early in their careers are encouraged.
Deadlines:
• Compulsory initiation of a Letter of Intent by obtaining a 7-digit LOI ID: 18 March 2025
• Submission of a Letter of Intent: 27 March 2025
• Submission of Full Proposals: mid-September 2025, on invitation only
No individual may be an applicant on more than one letter of intent in this review round.
The current mode of funding is as follows, but may be subject to revision before full applications are invited, to take into account HFSP’s budget: $250,000 for a team of 2; $350,000 for a team of 3; $450,000 for a team of 4 or more. These figures represent the amount awarded to the whole team per year for a period of 3 years.