Human Frontier Science Program Organization: Funding And Engagement Opportunities

As a member of the Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSP), the National Research Foundation, together with the South African Medical Research Council, is pleased to share upcoming funding, Fellowship and engagement opportunities available to the South African research community.

HFSP is an international research funding organisation that supports frontier research in the life sciences, particularly innovative and interdisciplinary collaborations across countries and scientific disciplines. Through South Africa’s membership, local researchers can participate in HFSP programmes that promote global collaboration, researcher mobility and cutting-edge life sciences research.

Current opportunities include:

1. Research Grants

The HFSP Research Grant Programme supports international teams of researchers pursuing innovative, interdisciplinary research that address fundamental questions in the life sciences. Grants are awarded for three years and encourage collaboration across countries and scientific disciplines (see guidelines).

The programme strongly encourages interdisciplinary collaborations, including participation from fields outside the traditional life sciences such as physics, mathematics, chemistry, computer science, and engineering, in order to develop novel approaches to complex biological problems.

There are two types of grants available:

1. Early Career Research Grants: 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.
2. Program Research Grants: 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 that include independent investigators early in their careers are encouraged.

Note: Applications focused on applied or clinical research typically funded by national medical research agencies are not eligible.

Application Deadlines:

• Initiate letter of intent: 17 March 2026
• Submit letter of intent: 26 March 2026
• Submit full proposal (by invite only): Mid-September 2026

Applications to be submitted via Proposal Central.

2. HFSP Postdoctoral Fellowship Programmes

The HFSP Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme supports early-career researchers pursuing frontier and potentially transformative research in the life sciences. Applications for high-risk projects are particularly encouraged. The projects should be interdisciplinary in nature and should challenge existing paradigms by using novel approaches and techniques. Scientifically, they should address an important problem or a barrier to progress in the field.

The programme encourages Fellows to expand their research skills by working in a new country and often in a new disciplinary area.

Two types of Fellowships are available:

• Long-Term Fellowships (LTF) are for applicants with a PhD on a biological topic who want to embark on a novel frontier project focused on the life sciences.
• Cross-Disciplinary Fellowships (CDF) are for applicants who hold a Doctoral degree from a non-biological discipline, e.g. physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering or computer sciences, who wish to pursue innovative research in the life sciences.

Application guidelinesfor the 2027 cycle are available here

Application deadlines:

Application portal opens: 12 March 2026

Letter of Intent initiation deadline: 05 May 2026

Letter of Intent submission: 12 May 2026

Full proposal (by invitation): 24 September 2026

Applications to be submitted via Proposal Central

3. HFSP Information and Application Guidance Webinars

HFSP will host several online information webinars to assist prospective applicants in the preparation of competitive Fellowship applications.

• Postdoctoral Fellowships Information Webinar

This webinar will provide an overview of the HFSP Fellowship programme, application requirements, and guidance on developing a strong Letter of Intent.

Date: 25 March 2026
Time: 12:00 CET
Format: Online (Registration link)

• Application Guidance Webinars: 2027 Fellowship Call

These sessions provide further guidance on the upcoming Fellowship call, including insights from HFSP programme officers and current Fellowship awardees.

Session A: 25 March 2026 – 09:00 CET
Session B: 25 March 2026 – 16:00 CET

Format:  Online (Registration link)

4. 25^th HFSP AwardeesMeeting

The HFSP Awardees Meeting is an important event that brings together HFSP research grant recipients, Fellows, and alumni, providing a platform for scientific exchange, networking, and collaboration within the global HFSP research community.

Dates: 08-10 July 2026

Venue: Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland

Attendee Registration: Registrations are open on the Participant Portal

South African researchers are encouraged to explore these opportunities and engage with the global HFSP research community.