Deadline: 15 May 2025

The Human Frontier Science Program (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.

Types of fellowships

Two different fellowships are available:

• Long-Term Fellowships (LTF) are for applicants with a PhD in a biological topic who want to embark on a novel and frontier project focusing on the life sciences.
• Cross-Disciplinary Fellowships (CDF) are for applicants who hold a doctoral degree in a non-biological discipline (e.g. physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering or computer sciences) and have not previously worked in the life sciences before.

Eligibility

• Nationality: Applicants may be from any country and 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 that country or another.
• Supervisor: Applicants cannot propose working with a host supervisor who is a former scientific collaborator, research supervisor, or with whom they have worked or published.
• The PhD degree must have been conferred when the fellowship is activated and conferred less than 3 years prior to the submission deadline. Specific career interruptions (e.g., illness, parental leave) may extend this period.
• Applicants must have at least one research publication as the lead author (excluding review articles).

For more details on eligibility can be read here.

Why Choose CESAM?

CESAM is dedicated to addressing critical environmental and marine challenges through transdisciplinary research. With over 500 active members, including more than 200 PhD holders, CESAM provides a vibrant community dedicated to scientific discovery and innovation. Key research areas at CESAM include: Global Change, Adaptation, and Mitigation; Environmental management and Pollution; and Socio-Ecological Systems and Resources.

By joining CESAM, you will be part of a collaborative environment that fosters international partnerships and cutting-edge research. Our team possesses expertise in diverse fields such as ecotoxicological innovative approaches considering multiple stressors; analytical chemistry, modelling atmospheric and hydrodynamic processes (freshwater, coastal & oceanic) processes, ‘Omics’ technologies and bioinformatics, environmentally friendly technologies (e.g., LCA), environmental economics and stakeholder engagement.

Funding

Fellows are granted a living allowance as well as a research and 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. The complete overview of HFSP fellowship allowances is outlined in the application guidelines. 

HFSP Fellows are not permitted to hold an HFSP Fellowship concurrently with another paid employment position (i.e., a position supported by a salary) or another paid fellowship from another organization. However, the HFSP Fellowship can be supplemented by other sources (e.g., a host supervisor’s grant or institutional funds). HFSP fellows may apply for and hold additional research grants, provided that these funds will not be used as a salary for the fellows and are intended to support their conduct of the Fellowship research project as presented in the fellow’s successful application. HFSP fellows must devote themselves entirely to their research project at the host institution and may not engage in any other paid activity without prior agreement of HFSPO.

HFSP fellows can either use the third fellowship year to continue to work in the host laboratory, to return to their or their spouse’s/partner’s home country, or to move to another HFSP member country.

Duration

The HFSP fellowships are for a duration of 3 years, with no possibility of renewal. Fellows may interrupt HFSP support after completing the first year for up to one year, provided they continue their postdoctoral research funded through other sources during this period (deferral period).

How to apply

There is only one competition per year for HFSP Fellowships. Applications for the 2026 HFSP Long-Term and Cross-Disciplinary Fellowships, which will start in 2026, 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.

Before submitting an application, applicants should check with their proposed host institution whether it is willing to accept an HFSP award. If you wish to come to CESAM at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, you should check out CESAM´s website to find a potential supervisor whose research interest aligns with yours. Alternatively, you can email cesam-gesciencia@ua.pt by 15 April 2025, including:

• an abstract of your project proposal;
• A brief CV outlining the area of your PhD, the date it was awarded, and the institution that conferred the degree.

CESAM will then attempt to match you with a suitable supervisor. Please note that a match is not guaranteed, as there may not be an available or interested supervisor.

Additional information can be found here.