It is never difficult to find highlights that left a mark on the HFSP calendar. So again in 2025!
In early January, the two review committees for Research Grants and Fellowships worked their way through full proposals that were part of the record number of submissions for letters of intent. The reviewers’ choice was again difficult in light of the many outstanding and truly remarkable projects that were on the table.
In the same month, I attended the India-South Africa Bilateral meeting on Bacterial Morphogenesis, Survival and Virulence (BMSV) in Cape Town, South Africa. This was the first time that HFSP engaged the field of bacteriology, allowing us to reach out to a scientific community that is very interested in our programs and that highly appreciated HFSP’s support to enable students to attend the meeting. Shortly thereafter, we found ourselves in the middle of the AAAS 2025 in Boston where HFSP, present in the exhibit, organized an open discussion on fostering collaborations in frontier research (Tracing the Frontiers in the Life Sciences) and a packed symposium with speakers discussing the convergence of physical, computational, or engineering science on biology and its impact on the innovation pipeline (A Transformative Era in the Biological Sciences).
In early spring the HFSPO Council of Scientists met for the first time in Singapore, and we used the opportunity to invite the local scientific community for a half day symposium. In parallel, the third edition of the HFSP Master Class was hosted by the Singapore research institutions.
By early July, it was time for us to pack our bags and head down-under for the 24th HFSP Awardees Meeting in Melbourne. Yet again an inspiring meeting and one could sense the scientific sparks floating around the breaks. Superb posters and presentations made for a truly amazing reunion. We will have an encore this year when we meet in Geneva at the Campus Biotech for the 25th Awardees Meeting (8-10 July) – an anniversary meeting that you don’t want to miss.
A small delegation from the HFSP Secretariat attended a very important user meeting in Reston VA, organized by Altum, the company that hosts our proposal submission and award management software. This is always a welcome opportunity to not only talk to the developers but also exchange best practice information with representatives from other funding organizations.
In October we were stunned and left in awe by the response to the HFSP Japan Science Summit. Four events in four different locations at outstanding Japanese research institutions drew a total of 1000 attendees both in-person and remotely. All thanks to a large group of HFSP Nakasone Award winners and Nobel Laureates that travelled with the HFSP delegation from venue to venue.
While colleagues in the HFSP Award office were already into the next cycle of letters of intent, I had the privilege to join HFSP Secretary General, Pavel Kabat, on a mission to Chile and Brazil. The goal was to continue ongoing conversations with representatives from both countries for a possible membership in HFSPO. Lots of positive signs and who knows what will happen in 2026.
Lots of positive signs which make it worth looking forward to 2026. We will continue to connect the HFSP community with events and champion frontier research across the globe.
I am looking forward to meeting many of you in Geneva. Until then, I wish all of you a healthy, inspiring, and scientifically exciting 2026!
Guntram Bauer
HFSPO Chief Scientific Officer