Human Frontier Science Program
HFSP Research Grant
Multi-country collaborative grants for interdisciplinary life-science teams across the HFSP network.
About the HFSP Research Grant
HFSP Research Grants fund international teams of 2–4 Principal Investigators pursuing collaborative, interdisciplinary research in the life sciences. Each team must span at least 2 HFSP member countries, and at least one PI must bring a distinctly non-life-science background (physics, chemistry, engineering, math). Funding goes up to US$400,000 per year for 3 years, shared across the team (so total ~US$1.2M). HFSP emphasises bold, speculative research with genuine intellectual crossover — incremental collaborations between similar labs typically don't succeed. Two tracks: Program Grants for established investigators and Young Investigator Grants for teams where all PIs are within 10 years of their first independent position. The scheme is highly competitive globally with around 10% success rate.
Key facts
- Tracks
- Program / Young Investigator
- Team size
- 2–4 PIs
- Countries
- 2+ HFSP members
- Key criterion
- Interdisciplinarity + international collaboration
- Success rate
- ~10%
Who is eligible?
- •Team of 2–4 PIs from at least 2 different HFSP member countries
- •At least one PI must bring a non-life-science background
- •Demonstrated interdisciplinary research vision
- •Young Investigator variant: all PIs within 10 years of first independent position
Open calls right now
HFSP Research Grant 2027
Deadline: 26 March 2026~€1,200,000HFSP Research Grant Program 2027
Deadline: 26 March 2026~€1,200,000 (up to $500k/yr × 3yr)HFSP Research Grants – Early Career
Deadline: 26 March 2026HFSP Research Grants – Program
Deadline: 26 March 2026HFSP Research Grant 2027
Deadline: 26 March 2026~€1,200,000HFSP Research Grant Program 2027
Deadline: 26 March 2026~€1,200,000 (up to $500k/yr × 3yr)HFSP Research Grants 2027 (Early Career & Program)
Deadline: 26 March 2026Fixed sums by team size (~$150K-$450K/year for 3 years)
Frequently asked questions
+What counts as "non-life-science" for HFSP's crossover requirement?
Physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, computer science, earth sciences, and similar fields. At least one PI must have their primary training and current research in these fields, not in biology or medicine.
+Can the same team re-apply if rejected?
Yes. Many teams refine their proposal based on reviewer feedback and re-apply the following year. Some teams succeed on their second or third attempt after significantly evolving the collaboration.
+How does HFSP compare to an ERC Synergy Grant?
Both fund multi-PI collaborations. HFSP is global (not just EU), smaller (~US$1.2M vs. ERC Synergy's €10M), and shorter (3 vs. 6 years). HFSP requires life-science interdisciplinarity; Synergy covers any field. They are often complementary.
+Is HFSP Young Investigator less competitive than Program?
Success rates are similar across both tracks (~10%). The Young Investigator variant has a smaller pool, but the selection bar is calibrated to that stage. Many teams with mixed career stages apply to Program.
Related programmes
Human Frontier Science Program
HFSP Postdoctoral Fellowship
3-year fellowship for postdocs pursuing bold interdisciplinary life-science research with international mobility.
European Research Council
ERC Synergy Grant
Up to €10M for groups of 2–4 principal investigators tackling ambitious problems that need complementary expertise.
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