Closed
Operating Grant: Human Frontier Science Program - Research Grants
International collaboration for frontier life science research
Last Update: April 21, 2026
Funding available
$ 300,000 - $ 500,000
Timeline
- Receipt of requests is now closed
Location
Canada
Overview
This program supports up to USD 500,000 per year for international life science research teams. It funds novel, interdisciplinary basic research on frontier biological questions through collaborative projects.
/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 problems.
- Interdisciplinary collaborations across scientific disciplines and countries.
- New lines of research developed through team collaboration.
- Exploratory or discovery-oriented projects without preliminary results.
Documents Needed
- Letter of Intent
- Full proposal
- Scientific abstract
- Research plan
- List of team publications and co-publications
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- International research teams in the life sciences.
- Independent researchers at any career stage.
- Early career research teams within the first five years of an independent laboratory.
Who is not eligible
- Individual researchers applying alone.
- Postdoctoral fellows.
- Applied research teams focused on clinical, pharmaceutical, or disease-development goals.
- Teams whose members all work in one country or at the same institution.
- Projects that are only incremental extensions of ongoing work.
Eligible expenses
- Equipment essential to the collaborative project.
- Materials, supplies, reagents, animals, software, and project-specific services.
- Salaries for research assistants, postdoctoral scientists, graduate students, and technicians.
- Publication, translation, mailing, courier, travel, per diem, and meeting costs.
- Indirect costs up to 10% of direct costs.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Applied research, including medical research normally funded by national health agencies.
- Projects aimed at diagnosis, treatment, drug targets, or drug development.
- Projects directly focused on agricultural, forestry, environmental, or conservation problems.
- Purely observational, descriptive, or screening studies.
- Indirect costs above the allowed cap and principal investigators’ own salaries.
Eligible geographic areas
- Principal Applicants must be based in an HFSPO member country.
- Co-applicants may be based in any country, including non-member countries.
- Priority is given to intercontinental collaborations.
Processing and Agreement
- Letters of Intent are screened for eligibility and scientific fit.
- Eligible applications are reviewed by the Review Committee and then the Selection Committee.
- Invited full proposals are reviewed by Review Committee members and external mail reviewers.
- Applicants are notified of outcomes after each stage.
- A funding decision is followed by annual funding distribution and progress reporting requirements.
Additional information
- Letters of Intent are required before invited full proposals.
- Invited Full Proposals must be submitted through ProposalCentral, not ResearchNet.
- Applicants must disclose any use of generative AI in the application process.
- HFSPO reserves the right to check AI use during evaluation.
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 up to USD 500,000 per year for international life science research teams. It funds novel, interdisciplinary basic research on frontier biological questions through collaborative projects.
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 problems.
Interdisciplinary collaborations across scientific disciplines and countries.
New lines of research developed through team collaboration.
Exploratory or discovery-oriented projects without preliminary results.
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