Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) Postdoctoral Fellowships is sponsored by Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSPO). Encourages early-career scientists to broaden their research skills by moving into new areas of study while working in a new country.

Postdoctoral Fellowships | Human Frontier Science Program Human Frontier Science Program HFSP supports novel, innovative and interdisciplinary basic research focused on the complex mechanisms of living organisms. A clear emphasis is placed on novel collaborations that bring biologists together to focus on problems at the frontier of the life sciences.

Scientific Misconduct Policy San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) HFSP Open Access Statement Career Planning Presentation Other funding organizations In this section you find information about the awardees in the HFSP scientific programs. This includes a searchable database of HFSP awardees, information on the HFSP Nakasone Award and other achievements by HFSP awardees.

HFSP promotes and participates in several events every year. We are committed to bringing together the scientific community and forging new opportunities to network and have scientific discussions that help to create bridges and partnerships for the future of frontier science. The Human Frontier Science Program is a program of funding for frontier research in the life sciences.

It is implemented by the International Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSPO) with its office in Strasbourg. Here you can find all you need to know about the HFSPO. The HFSP fellowship program supports proposals for frontier, 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.

HFSP postdoctoral fellowships encourage early career scientists to broaden their research skills by moving into new areas of study while working in a new country . Two different fellowships are available: Long-Term Fellowships (LTF) are for applicants with a PhD on a biological topic who want to embark on a novel and frontier project focussing 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) and who have no (or little) experience in the life sciences. There is only one competition per year for HFSP Fellowships.

Applications for the 2027 HFSP Long-Term and Cross-Disciplinary Fellowships will follow a two-step submission process via the online submission platform ProposalCentral . Firstly, applicants will be asked to submit a Letter of Intent from which the review committee will select the best proposals. In a second step, successful applicants will be invited to submit a Full Proposal.

The application portal for the 2027 HFSP Fellowships Letters of Intent is now open, please see our ProposalCentral Instructions (linked below). The application guidelines for the 2027 cycle are available: HFSP Fellowships 2027 - Application Guidelines (LTF and CDF) Fellowships Information Webinar We are hosting two Fellowships Webinars on the 25th of March, 2026.

Carolyn Johnson (HFSP Senior Scientific Officer) and Guntram Bauer (HFSP Chief Scientific Officer) provide insights into HFSP’s expectations for frontier science, application rules and guidelines, and how to develop a compelling Letter of Intent. This session will also feature Samuel Miravet-Verde and Sandra Reinert's experiences as HFSP Fellowship Awardees.

Please register via the link: Register for the Fellowships Information Webinar The ProposalCentral application portal will OPEN on March 12, 2026 . You must start filling in your application between March 12 and May 5, 2026. Initiation of a Letter of Intent must be completed BEFORE May 5, 2026 at 9:00 am (09:00, Eastern US Time).

Instructions can be found in the Application Guidelines (above) and in the ProposalCentral instructions (pdf) Submission of a Letter of Intent by May 12, 2026 at 9:00 am (09:00, Eastern US Time) via ProposalCentral HFSP will notify fellowship applicants between mid-August and end of August as to whether their Letter of Intent was selected or not for submitting a Full Proposal.

Submission of Full Proposals for invited applicants by September 24, 2026 at 9:00 am (09:00, Eastern US Time) via ProposalCentral . Application Guidelines (LTF and CDF). pdf ProposalCentral instructions for LOI applicants.

pdf Assessment Criteria and Reviewer Scoring Guide. pdf For questions about registration in ProposalCentral please use the following contact: https://proposalcentral. com/inforequest.

asp E-mail: [ Click here to show mail address ] ProposalCentral Phone: +1 703 964 5840 For questions about the HFSP Fellowships, please first read the Application Guidelines (above), then contact the Fellowships Office at [ Click here to show mail address ] Applicants must keep the host supervisor(s) and host institution aware of their application.

It is also important to make sure that the host institution is willing to accept a postdoctoral fellow under the HFSPO rules, e.g. with regards to receiving external funding for its postdoctoral researchers. Applicants must also check the institution’s policies for postdoctoral fellows and visa requirements for the proposed host country.

If offered a fellowship by HFSP, applicants will be sent the Agreement (detailed conditions of award), which they, their host supervisor(s), and an official administrator at the host institution will be required to sign before the activation of the award. The HFSP Fellowship is awarded for 3 years (36 months). It cannot be renewed.

Fellows must begin their fellowship between 1 April 2027 and 1 January 2028. The PhD must have been conferred (completed) by the date of Fellowship activation. Fellowship allowances are all administered through the host institution and the appointment must be 100% FTE.

Fellows should investigate their tax liabilities and other costs such as for visa applications. Fellows are granted a Living Allowance as well as a Research & Travel Allowance. Depending on their specific situation, Fellows may also qualify to receive a Child Allowance, a Parental Leave Allowance, and a Relocation allowance.

Allowances differ depending on the Host Country. Please see the Application Guidelines for further details and amounts of allowances. Fellowship Interruptions/Deferrals Under specific circumstances, Fellows may interrupt (‘defer’) HFSPO support for up to two years (24 months).

Deferrals can be made after having completed at least one year of the HFSP Fellowship in the proposed host laboratory. All requests for deferral require prior approval by HFSPO. Concurrent Fellowships/Grants or Other Employment HFSP Fellows cannot concurrently hold an HFSP Fellowship and another paid employment position (i.e., a position supported by a salary) or another paid fellowship from another organization.

However, the HFSP living allowance can be supplemented from other sources (e.g., from a host supervisor’s grant or from institutional funds), for instance to reach the salary requirements of the host institution. HFSP Fellows may apply for and hold additional research grants to assist their conduct of the fellowship research project as presented in their successful HFSP application.

However, those funds must not be used as the fellows’ salary. HFSP Fellows must devote themselves entirely to their research project in the host institution and may not engage in any other paid activity without prior agreement by HFSPO.

Third Year of the Fellowship In the third year of the fellowship, fellows may choose to continue to work in the same host laboratory, to return to their or their spouse’s/partner’s home country, or to move to another HFSPO member country. Fellows wishing to move must obtain prior approval from HFSPO. Applicants do NOT need to describe or discuss their proposed activities for the third year of the Fellowship in their application.

Attendance at HFSP Awardees Meetings HFSP Awardees will be invited to participate in the HFSP Awardees Meeting which takes place in a different HFSPO member country each year. For its fellowship scheme, HFSPO regards attendance at its Awardees Meeting important to achieving the goals of interdisciplinary, international collaboration.

The meeting is an excellent venue for the exchange of scientific ideas, to meet the HFSPO staff, and to liaise with other HFSP Awardees in an informal setting, as a “community of scholars”. HFSP Fellows are strongly encouraged to attend at least one HFSP Awardees Meeting during the tenure of their award.

Please visit 25th HFSP Awardees Meeting | Human Frontier Science Program for complete information about the 2026 HFSP Awardees Meeting. Information regarding expenses for attending the meeting are found in the awardee's Agreement and Conditions of Award. Before applying please read carefully the application guidelines which list the eligibility criteria.

Should you have any question as to your eligibility, please contact the fellowship office.

HFSP Fellowships 2027 - Application Guidelines (LTF and CDF) Information on how to submit a Letter of Intent can be found here: ProposalCentral Instructions for Letters of Intent For details on the review process and the assessment criteria and scoring guidelines please refer to this document: Assessment Criteria and Reviewer Scoring Guide General tutorials (not specific to HFSP applicants) on how to open an account and to submit a Letter of Intent via ProposalCentral can be found at: https://docs.

proposalcentral. com/RegUser. pdf and https://docs.

proposalcentral. com/CreateApp. pdf Please refer to the Application Guidelines for the complete information on eligibility.

Important eligibility criteria: Applicants may be from any country and of any nationality. However, candidates cannot apply for a fellowship to work in the country of their nationality, regardless of whether they have obtained their PhD degree in this or another country.

Based on the candidate’s nationality, the proposed host country must fulfil one of the following criteria: Candidates who are nationals of one of the HFSPO Member Countries can apply to work in a research institution in any country that they are NOT a national of. Candidates who are not nationals of one of the HFSPO Member Countries can ONLY apply to work in a research institute in an HFSPO Member Country.

Candidates with dual nationalities may apply to work in a research institution in one of the countries of which they have a nationality, but ONLY if they have never lived in this country and fulfil one of the first two criteria. In case of doubt, applicants should contact the HFSP Fellowship Office ( Click here to show mail address ). In all cases, the host country and host institution criteria must also be fulfilled.

HFSPO member countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus (EU part only), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, the Republic of Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Republic of South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

2) Host Country and Host Institution All of the following requirements must be fulfilled.

Candidates must: propose a change in country, propose a research institution in a host country* that they are not a national of (for dual nationalities see above), not propose to take up the HFSP postdoctoral fellowship in the country in which they obtained their PhD, even if they are not a national of that country, not have studied or worked in their proposed host country for more than 12 months (consecutively or not) by the activation date of their HFSP fellowship.

The combined duration of all stays (including research positions, collaborations, internships, high school, Bachelor’s, Master’s and/or PhD work, postdoctoral research, and time as a visiting scientist or technician, etc.) is taken into account. Applicants who are already working at their proposed host institution are eligible ONLY if they have arrived on or after 1 April 2026.

In any case, the fellowship must be activated within 12 months after their arrival at the host institution and/or host country . For-profit research environments are not eligible host institutions, but collaborations are allowed.

*For those institutions that are not classified as national, i.e. international or extraterritorial institutions such as EMBL, ICPT or ICGEB, the country where the laboratory is located will be considered the host country. Applicants must indicate a primary host supervisor. If scientifically necessary, applicants may also indicate a secondary host supervisor from the same or a different institution.

The rules and requirements are the same for all host supervisors, their institution, and country of location. Applicants cannot propose to work with host supervisors who are: former scientific collaborators, former research supervisors, or with whom they have worked or published.

Applications will also be ineligible if the applicant has spent more than 12 months (consecutively or not) working with the proposed host supervisor at the activation date** of the fellowship. This is regardless of any change of institution by the host supervisor. Please note that any host supervisor can endorse only ONE fellowship application (LOI) per competition year.

However, the proposed supervisor may simultaneously mentor HFSP fellows from previous award years, and/or be part of an HFSP Research Grant team. ** Activation date: Successful applicants in the 2026 award cycle must begin (activate) their fellowship between 1 April 2027 and 1 January 2028.

The applicant must have completed their PhD or a comparable doctoral degree with equivalent research experience (for instance, an MD, medical PhD, or DEng) before starting the fellowship, and before 31 December 2027 at the latest . A completed doctoral degree is not required at the time of application.

Should an applicant have more than one relevant doctoral degree, the date of completion of the most recent will be used to determine eligibility. Applicants are not eligible if the doctoral degree has been conferred*** more than 3 years (36 months) prior to the submission deadline of the Full Proposal (24 September 2026).

Therefore, applicants whose doctoral degree was conferred prior to 24 September 2023 are not eligible for the HFSP fellowships. However, some specific post-PhD career interruptions may be exempted and are therefore not counted towards the ‘time since the PhD conferral date’, such as: illness, parental leave (childcare), providing full-time care for an immediate family member, military or civil service.

The remaining duration between the conferral date and the submission date of the Full Proposals (24 September 2026) may not exceed 3 years (36 months). Applicants wishing to obtain an exemption must contact ( Click here to show mail address ) with details of their interruption periods (dates, reasons) to discuss the possibility of an exemption BEFORE initiating their Letter of Intent.

The start and end dates for all post-PhD interruptions must be entered in the “CV” section in the application portal. Interruption periods that are NOT eligible for exemption include: unemployment, volunteer work, paid/unpaid internships, or any form of employment (scientific or otherwise). ***Conferral date: degree completion date, indicated on degree certificate or diploma.

6) Publication Requirements: Lead author publication(s) Applicants must have AT LEAST ONE full-length original research publication, in English, for which the applicant is a lead author (e.g. applicant is either the single author, first author, or joint-first author). In a joint-first author paper, the applicant does not need to be listed in the first position, but the equal contribution of the authors must be clearly stated.

Review articles and patents do not qualify for this publication requirement. However, please note that ALL publications, including review articles and preprints, must be listed in the “Additional Information on Publications” form.

At the Letter of Intent stage , applicants must have at least one lead author manuscript that is either: (i) already published in a peer-reviewed journal, (ii) accepted and in press at a peer-reviewed journal, or (iii) accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, or (iv) available online in a recognized open-access (OA) preprint repository AND submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

Manuscripts that fit the following description do NOT QUALIFY for the publication requirements AT ANY APPLICATION STAGE: (v) have not been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal, or (vi) are in review at a peer-reviewed journal, but are not available in an OA preprint repository. At the Full Proposal stage , option (iv) is no longer valid.

Therefore, the applicant must have at least one lead author manuscript that is either: (i) published in a peer-reviewed journal, (ii) accepted and in press at a peer-reviewed journal, or (iii) accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

If the standard publication practice in the applicant’s laboratory or research field makes first authorship impossible (e.g. alphabetical listing of authors), these circumstances must be explained in the “Additional Comments” field under Section 2 (Applicant) of the application.

For cases in which a research article cannot be registered in ProposalCentral (e.g. if it does not have a DOI) please also explain this in the “Additional Comments” section. HFSP recognizes that publication practices differ across disciplines. Applicants with queries regarding the eligibility of their publication record should contact ( Click here to show mail address ) to check.

Scientific Scope of the HFSP Postdoctoral Program: HFSP supports projects in basic research studying fundamental problems in the life sciences.

Research topics may include biological functions at all levels of analysis, for example, studies on genes and individual molecules, biophysical properties and structures of living material, intracellular networks, intercellular associations in tissues and organs, and networks underlying the complex functions of entire organisms (including cognitive functions) as well as populations and ecosystems.

Prospective fellowship applicants are encouraged to read about previous HFSP Fellows for examples of the broad scope of projects that have been funded by HFSP in the past. In cases of doubt, applicants can contact the HFSP Fellowship Office ( fellow@hfsp. org ) to request general feedback about the alignment of their proposed project with the objectives and scope of HFSP-funded research.

The proposed research topic must be: within the field of life sciences , distinctly different from the applicant’s PhD or previous postdoctoral work , and basic, fundamental research (applications of purely applied nature will not be considered). HFSP postdoctoral fellowships aim to expose fellows to new theories and methods to complement or build on their previous experience and expertise.

The applicant may consult with the host supervisor in the development and writing of the proposal, but the project should be primarily the idea of the applicant. For more information, please see the assessment criteria and the scoring guide for reviewers .

2) What HFSP does not support With respect to research topics, HFSP does not fund: Projects of a purely applied nature, for example: Projects with a primarily clinical and/or pharmaceutical focus Projects aimed at developing or improving diagnosis or treatment of diseases, identifying drug targets, as well as drug design and development Applied projects in engineering, biotechnology, or nanotechnology Development of novel methods that do not aim to answer a basic biological question Projects directly focused on solving agricultural, forestry, environmental, or conservational problems Purely observational or descriptive projects, including systematic screening approaches and data collection studies, for instance on genomes, transcriptomes, connectomes, populations or ecosystems Proposals that are an obvious next step in the field, use standard approaches or promise only an incremental advancement in the field.

Additionally, HFSP Postdoctoral Fellowships (LTF and CDF) do not fund: Projects that are an obvious next step in the ongoing research of the host laboratory Projects that are a close continuation—the next logical step—of the applicant’s work in their PhD or previous postdoctoral projects Research in for-profit environments (however, collaborations with for-profit entities are allowed).

All Letters of Intent and invited Full Proposals will be assessed for eligibility, and all eligible applications undergo peer review. Please note that we cannot provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants at the Letter of Intent stage due to the volume of applications that we receive. However, unsuccessful applicants that were invited to submit a Full Proposal will receive feedback.

The application and selection processes are confidential. Fellowship Review Committee members and external scientific reviewers are also bound by confidentiality. A list of the 2026 Fellowship Review Committee members can be found HERE .

All Letters of Intent (LOIs) are checked for compliance with formal eligibility criteria by HFSP in accord with the criteria described above. Formally ineligible LOIs will not be further considered. The remaining LOIs are screened for alignment with the objectives of HFSP and scientific scope (see the application guidelines).

A small review committee decides which LOIs will be removed at this stage. Applicants whose LOIs do not align with the scientific scope of HFSP will be notified. All remaining LOIs will go through full peer-review.

Eligible LOIs will then be peer-reviewed by the HFSP Fellowship Review Committee (see below). Review of Letters of Intent Each eligible LOI that is in scope with the HFSP objectives and scope will be assessed by two Fellowship Review Committee members who will use an alphabetical score (from A [highest] to D [lowest]) to rate the application.

In cases in which the two reviewers’ scores are significantly different, applications will be assessed by a third reviewer. The scores from all reviewers will be used to establish a ranking of all LOIs. HFSP will then invite the top LOI applicants (usually the top 15–20% of all eligible LOIs) to submit a Full Proposal.

LOI applicants will be notified between mid-August and end of August as to whether their Letter of Intent was selected or not to submit a Full Proposal. All Full Proposals will first be checked against the eligibility criteria, importantly with regards to the publication requirements. Eligible Full Proposals will then be sent to external scientific reviewers who have expertise in the topics of the proposed research.

Each proposal is expected to receive 2–3 evaluations from these external reviewers. Then, two Review Committee members will evaluate each Full Proposal, taking into account the evaluations from the external scientific reviewers. The Fellowship Review Committee will meet in early February.

At the meeting, each Full Proposal will be discussed, and each of the original Review Committee members defends or revises their initial rating. The numerical scores of the original Review Committee members are then used to suggest an overall score for each proposal. Based on the discussions during the committee meeting, all Review Committee members will provide their scores for all Full Proposals.

Then, the average score for each proposal is used to generate a ranked list of proposals recommended for funding. For details on the review process and the assessment criteria and scoring guidelines please refer to this document: Assessment Criteria & Scoring Guide (pdf) Note: Applicants must also meet all formal eligibility requirements outlined in the Application Guidelines.

Applicants are notified of the outcome of their applications once internal HFSP formalities are complete (usually towards the end of March). 01. What is the application process for the HFSP fellowship?

Applicants must initiate and submit a Letter of Intent in May, the year before awards are made. Selected applicants will then be invited to submit a Full Proposal, due in September the same year. Applicants will be notified of the outcome in March the following year, and successful applicants may then start their HFSP fellowship on 1 April, at the earliest.

For example, to apply for the 2027 HFSP Fellowships, applicants must initiate and submit their Letter of Intent in May 2026. The outcome for the Letter of Intent is then announced in August 2026, and applicants who’s Letter of Intent is selected will be invited to submit a Full Proposal, due in September 2026.

The final outcome will then be announced in March 2027, and successful awardees may begin their HFSP Fellowship as early as April 2027. 02. I have a PhD from outside the life sciences.

Which type of fellowship should I apply for? Applicants with a PhD from outside the life sciences (e.g. in physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering or computer sciences), and who have never worked in the life sciences, should apply for a Cross-Disciplinary Fellowship (CDF). Long-Term Fellowships (LTFs) are for applicants with a PhD in a biological discipline or applicants who have already worked in the life sciences.

03. What exactly do you mean by a “change in research direction”? HFSP believes that broad, interdisciplinary training is excellent preparation for postdoctoral researchers to establish novel, interdisciplinary research programs.

Therefore, preference is given to applicants who add new ideas or unique approaches to their research. This should involve learning new methods, changing study system, or exposure to new theory or literature. 04.

I am currently supported by another fellowship. Can I apply for the HFSP fellowship? Candidates can apply for the HFSP fellowship even if they have other financial support.

However, if you are awarded the HFSP fellowship, the other support will have to be terminated prior to the start of the HFSP fellowship. 05. Can I submit multiple applications in one funding round, e.g. can I apply for both an LTF and a CDF in the same year?

No, a candidate can only submit one fellowship application per year. You must choose the program (either LTF or CDF) that best suits your research background and proposed research project. In case of doubt, please email the Fellowships Office (fellow@hfsp.

org) for guidance. 06. If unsuccessful, can I apply again in another year?

There is only one application round per year. Should your application be unsuccessful, you may submit an application in a subsequent year, provided you still meet all the eligibility criteria listed in the guidelines. Please note that application guidelines are subject to change each year.

If you were successful at the Letter of Intent stage in a previous year but were rejected at the Full Proposal stage, you must submit another Letter of Intent the following year if you wish to apply again. Please note that success at the Letter of Intent stage in one year does not guarantee success in the following year. 07.

I do not have a PhD. Can I submit an application? You must have a PhD or equivalent qualification (such as an MD-PhD) to submit an application.

Applicants who were conferred a degree in Europe should consult the online database of EURYDICE at https://eacea. ec. europa.

eu/national-policies/eurydice/ to confirm degree equivalency. This is the official database of European Higher Education Degrees, that is used by HFSPO. In case of doubt, please email the Fellowships Office ( fellow@hfsp.

org ). 08. I have obtained both a PhD and an MD degree.

Until when can I apply for the HFSP fellowship? Three years after I obtained my PhD or three years after I obtained my MD degree? HFSP will take the most recent degree into account for your eligibility.

09. Can I submit my application while still finishing my PhD thesis? Yes, but the PhD must have been conferred by the time the fellowship is activated (please check the application guidelines for specific dates).

10. I am a national of a non-member country of HFSPO. Can I apply?

Yes, you can apply. However, you must propose to undertake the fellowship in one of the HFSPO member countries . 11.

Is it possible to have two host supervisors? Yes, if the project needs collaboration between two laboratories, you may register two host supervisors. 12.

Can my host supervisor(s) endorse another applicant in the same competition? No, your host supervisor(s) can only endorse one application each year, either for an LTF or for a CDF. 13.

I don't have a first/lead-author publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Am I eligible to apply? If you do NOT have at least one first/lead author publication in a peer-reviewed journal, you might still be able to submit a Letter of Intent.

In this case, by the deadline for the Letter of Intent, you must have at least one lead author (e.g. single author, first author, or joint-first author) original research manuscript that is available online in a recognized open-access preprint repository* AND that has been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

To submit a Full Proposal, you must have at least one lead author original research manuscript that has been published or accepted for publication at a peer-reviewed journal before the Full Proposal submission deadline. Review articles and patents do not qualify for the publication requirements (but should be listed in your application). Please see the application guidelines for further details.

*Listings of recognized preprint repositories are available on the ASAPbio or Open Access Directory websites. 14. On what grounds were applications ineligible in the past round of awards?

Applications are most often ineligible for formal reasons, such as applicants having previously worked or studied in the proposed host country, or with the host supervisor.

Others are ineligible because the proposed projects do not fall within the scientific remit of HFSPO, such as (but not limited to): • Projects with a primarily clinical and/or pharmaceutical focus • Projects aimed at developing or improving diagnosis or treatment of diseases, identifying drug targets, as well as drug design and development • Applied projects in engineering, biotechnology, or nanotechnology • Development of novel methods that do not aim to answer a basic biological question • Projects directly focused on solving agricultural, forestry, environmental, or conservational problems Please take a look at our application guidelines for information regarding the types of research that we fund.