The HFSP Long-Term Fellowship (LTF) is awarded by the International Human Frontier Science Program Organization to support postdoctoral researchers in the life sciences for a period of 3 years. The programme funds basic, exploratory research that crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries, and it requires international mobility: the host laboratory must be in a country different from the applicant's nationality, and the applicant must not have worked or studied there for more than 12 months before the fellowship starts. Funding is paid as a living allowance set by country (for example, about USD 59,460 per year in the United States), plus a research and travel allowance of up to USD 7,200 per year and relocation support of up to USD 4,000 for the fellow and immediate family. A child allowance of 10 percent of the living allowance is paid for the first year only. The application runs in two stages, a letter of intent followed by an invited full proposal, and no preliminary experimental data are required. Because the living allowance, supplementary amounts, and exact deadlines are reset each award year, confirm the current-cycle figures and dates on the official HFSP page before you apply.
Applications are submitted online through ProposalCentral in two stages, beginning with a letter of intent and continuing to an invited full proposal.
Projects in drug development, diagnostics, or clinical trials are ineligible, and the host supervisor must not be a past collaborator or mentor of the applicant.
Nationals of HFSP member countries (40+ countries including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States), Nationals of non-member countries only if hosted in a member country
Applications are assessed by HFSP review committees on the originality and significance of the proposed research, the degree to which the project departs from the applicant's previous work, the interdisciplinary and international character of the plan, and the applicant's track record including first-author publications. Letters of intent are screened first, and only the strongest applicants are invited to submit full proposals, which then undergo detailed scientific review before final awards are made.
The International Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSPO), based in Strasbourg, France, funds frontier research in the life sciences through grants and fellowships supported by an international group of more than 40 member countries and the European Union. Since 1989 it has supported tens of thousands of researchers, including a number of later Nobel laureates.
Answers below are best-effort estimates from the most recent application cycle. Values marked ~ or (est.) may shift year-to-year — confirm specifics on the official scholarship page.
Postdoctoral researchers in the life sciences who hold a PhD awarded roughly within the last three years and who are nationals of an HFSP member country, or who will be hosted in a member country.
The Long-Term Fellowship is funded for 3 years, with flexibility in the third year to return home or move to a new laboratory.
It pays a country-adjusted living allowance, for example about ~$59,460 (est.) per year in the United States, plus a research and travel allowance and relocation support; confirm exact amounts on the official page.
Yes. The host laboratory must be in a country different from your nationality, and you must not have studied or worked there for more than 12 months beforehand.
No. The HFSP encourages bold, exploratory projects, and no preliminary data are required at the application stage.
Fundamental, non-applied life-science research that differs substantially from your PhD or earlier postdoctoral work; drug development, diagnostics, and clinical trials are excluded.
Yes. A child allowance equal to 10 percent of the living allowance per child is paid during the first year of the fellowship.
There are two stages: a letter of intent submitted by everyone, followed by a full proposal that is submitted only on invitation.
The degree should normally have been awarded within about three years before the deadline, with possible extensions for documented career breaks such as parental leave or illness.
Applications are made online through ProposalCentral, linked from the official HFSP fellowships page.
Only if the host institution is located in an HFSP member country; otherwise both the applicant's nationality and the host country must be member countries.
On the official HFSP postdoctoral fellowships page, which publishes the current living allowance, supplementary amounts, and the binding deadlines for each award year.