Closed
Operating Grant: Human Frontier Science Program - Research Grants
International collaborative research in the life sciences
Last Update: April 21, 2026
Funding available
$ 300,000 - $ 500,000
Timeline
- Receipt of requests is now closed
Location
Canada
Overview
This program supports teams of scientists working on innovative basic research in the life sciences. It provides fixed-sum funding for collaborative projects that bring together interdisciplinary expertise across national boundaries.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Conduct research and development activities
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 500,000 $
- Minimum amount : 300,000 $
Timeline
- Receipt of requests is now closed
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services
Location
- Canada
Legal structures
- Public or Parapublic institution
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- All groups
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Innovative basic research on fundamental biological questions.
- Interdisciplinary collaborative research across national and disciplinary boundaries.
- New research directions developed through team collaboration.
Documents Needed
- Letter of Intent
- Full proposal
- Scientific abstract
- Research plan
- List of team publications and co-publications
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- International teams of independent researchers.
- Research teams in the life sciences.
- Early career research teams meeting the program’s timing requirements.
Who is not eligible
- Individual scientists applying alone.
- Projects with a purely applied focus.
- Teams that are not international.
- Teams based only at one institution.
- Research teams whose work is mainly incremental or not novel.
Eligible expenses
- Project-specific costs directly linked to the collaborative research.
- Salaries or stipends for essential research assistants, post-doctoral scientists, graduate students, and technicians.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Salary support for the Principal Applicant, Co-Applicant, or other faculty and institutional staff.
- Student tuition fees.
- Applied research, including medical research normally funded by national health agencies.
- Projects focused on diagnosis, treatment, drug targets, or drug development.
- Purely observational, descriptive, or screening studies.
Eligible geographic areas
- Principal Applicants must have their primary laboratory in an HFSP member country.
- Other team members and their laboratories may be based anywhere in the world.
Processing and Agreement
- Letters of Intent are pre-screened for applicant eligibility and scientific scope.
- Eligible Letters of Intent are reviewed by the Review Committee and then by the Selection Committee.
- Selected teams are invited to submit a full proposal.
- Full proposals are reviewed by Review Committee members and external experts.
- Final recommendations require approval before awards are announced.
Additional information
- Letters of Intent are required before invited full proposals.
- Invited Full Proposals must be submitted through ProposalCentral, not ResearchNet.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Operating Grant: Human Frontier Science Program - Research Grants Program
Here are answers to the most common questions about the Operating Grant: Human Frontier Science Program - Research Grants. This section explains what the program is, how much funding is available, eligibility requirements, application deadlines, and other important details to help you determine if this grant is right for your business.
What is the Operating Grant: Human Frontier Science Program - Research Grants?
This program supports teams of scientists working on innovative basic research in the life sciences. It provides fixed-sum funding for collaborative projects that bring together interdisciplinary expertise across national boundaries.
How much funding can be received?
Operating Grant: Human Frontier Science Program - Research Grants Funds up to $500,000 of admissible expenses.
Who is eligible for the Operating Grant: Human Frontier Science Program - Research Grants program?
To be eligible for the Operating Grant: Human Frontier Science Program - Research Grants program, you must:
Basic life science research.
International collaborative team.
Novel project beyond ongoing work.
What expenses are eligible under Operating Grant: Human Frontier Science Program - Research Grants?
Innovative basic research on fundamental biological questions.
Interdisciplinary collaborative research across national and disciplinary boundaries.
New research directions developed through team collaboration.
Who can I contact for more information about the Operating Grant: Human Frontier Science Program - Research Grants?
You can contact Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) by email at grant@hfsp.org or by phone at 33 3 88 21 51 ext. 26 or 37.
Where is the Operating Grant: Human Frontier Science Program - Research Grants available?
The Operating Grant: Human Frontier Science Program - Research Grants program is available across Canada.
Is the Operating Grant: Human Frontier Science Program - Research Grants a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Operating Grant: Human Frontier Science Program - Research Grants is a Researchers And Facilities