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.
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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
Other components of this program
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Frequently Asked Questions about the Operating Grant: Human Frontier Science Program - Research Grants Program
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