Members of the International Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSPO) representing countries from around the world plus the European Commission ― which taken together represents a total of 40 nations ― met on Tuesday, 7 July 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland, to reaffirm their commitment to HFSPO, the only truly global program that supports and funds frontier research in the life sciences.
The 2026 Triennial Conference of HFSPO Members (TCHM) was hosted by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), and opened by Martina Hirayama, State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation. The SNSF subsequently organized a High-Level Science Summit “Frontier Science as an Engine for Innovation” featuring prominent scientists and representatives of science policy and science funding, chaired by Torsten Schwede, President of the SNSF Research Council.
The Triennial Conference attended by the governmental representatives of the HFSPO Members and other dignitaries, marks the 13th such recommitment, since the Organization’s inception in 1987. Current Members include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, the Republic of South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, and the European Commission representing the 24 European countries that are not G7 members. The HFSPO program is funded in three-year implementation plans which are approved through cooperative, voluntary Member’s Joint Communiqué signed during the Triennial Conference.
For its Members, supporting HFSPO represents a strategically important investment that provides added value and visibility to their domestic research and development activities. Their membership also speaks to their engagement towards the global life-science community and to their underlying commitment to humankind and global wellbeing. The program delivers exceptional scientific quality, seeds long-term innovation, strengthens international collaboration, and develops scientific talent in ways that national programs alone cannot achieve. For member states, HFSPO provides both scientific returns and value added in various ways, reinforcing its continued relevance in an increasingly complex and competitive global research landscape. The Joint Communiqué signed by Members at the Geneva Triennial Conference presents their clear commitment to maintain the impeccable reputation and relevance of their organization, including its financial sustainability.
Representatives share HFSPO’s scientific vision for the future and commit to a world where frontier, breakthrough science pioneers’ new knowledge and solutions for humanity’s future. The Joint Communiqué states that to remain a vital and unique contributor to the global scientific enterprise, HFSPO must evolve and respond to the rapidly changing life sciences enterprise globally by continuing its core mission and remain agile to respond to the changing nature of the frontiers of the life sciences in the 21st century.
The TCHM was followed by an official lunch. Photos of both events are available in the event photo gallery.