Members of the Human Frontier Science Program, which funds basic research in the life sciences, have pledged to maintain their financial support for the programme at an intergovernmental meeting hosted by the European Commission.
The HFSP’s receives support from 14 governments, which include the EU and six European countries. In a meeting in Brussels on 11 June, the funders announced the programme’s budget for the period 2014-2016, which begins at $56.7 million (€42.7m) for 2014 and increases in the following years. The annual budget for 2013 is $55.7m.
The largest contributor to the HFSP is Japan, which launched the programme in 1989 as a Group of Seven initiative. The country plans to provide about $22.2m in funds annually.
“The Human Frontier Science Program has been an inspiration and a model for frontier research funding schemes throughout the world, including our own European Research Council,” said Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, commissioner for research. A former secretary general of the ERC, Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker, is heading the HFSP.
The HFSP offers awards for students completing their PhDs, for scientists setting up their first laboratory and for collaborative international projects. Selection is based on scientific excellence and peer review.
“Since its inception in 1989, HFSP has provided almost 6,500 awards to scientists giving them the opportunity to pursue cutting-edge research at all stages of their career,” Geoghegan-Quinn said. “With today’s successful IGC conclusion it will be able to support many more.”
Also present at an open session in the meeting were observers from Brazil, China, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey.
“HFSP will endeavour to meet the demands of an ever growing scientific community focused on quantitative approaches to the emergence of higher order functions in biological systems,” said Winnacker. “It will open the door to new member countries interested in permitting their researchers to participate fully in such a unique and highly competitive global effort.”