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A*STAR HHP MISSION - Stream 1 Grant

A*STAR HHP MISSION - Stream 1 Grant
Closes On
26 Oct 2026
Funding Source
External
PI Salary Support
No
ACP/SDDC Affiliation
No ACP/SDDC affiliation required
Funding Per Grant Amount
S$ 5,000,000
Qualification
MBBS / BDS / PhD / MD
Academic Appointment
No
Funding Period
3 years
Citizenship
Foreigner / S / PR
Call Opens
31 Aug 2026
SMC/SDC Registered
No

Background

Human Health and Potential (HHP) MISSION

  • A national funding initiative under Singapore’s HHP domain that replaces HHP IAF-PP in RIE2030.
  • Focuses on clearly defined challenges in Biotech & MedTech
  • Projects bridge research discoveries to real-world impact and aim to deliver commercial outcomes within 5–10 years. 
  • Funding is provided through 2 complementary streams:  Stream 1 (smaller focused projects) & Stream 2 (larger scale programmes). This is a Stream 1 call.

Projects should or be:

  • Discrete PI-led projects to unlock technical/ biological bottlenecks
  • Address the thematic focus area
  • Propose a novel and differentiated scientific or technical approach that meaningfully improves upon the current standard of care with clear translational relevance
  • Demonstrate a clear line-of-sight to downstream development opportunities and potential commercial impact, informed by the existing and emerging treatment landscape.

Aim: Tangible translational outputs, commercialisable IP and decision-enabling evidence within 2.5 to 3 years 

For more information, please refer to ‘31 July 2026 HHP MISSION Stream 1 Virtual Launch Roadshow Deck’ PDF.

Focus Area

Immune homeostasis, immune dysregulation and inflammation as drivers of disease. 

The below show the illustrative scope and are not prescriptive. Pls refer to Roadshow Deck for more information.

Challenge 1 Challenge 2 Challenge 3
Uncover disease-driving pathways and cell states Reset immunity without broadly suppressing it Make immune dysregulation clinically actionable
What if we could identify the dysregulated pathways and cellstates that drive disease, and reveal precise opportunities to restore immunehomeostasis? What if we could selectively reprogramme dysregulated immunity to deliver deeper and more durable responses while preserving protective immune function? What if clinicians could identify andtrack immune dysregulation early enough to change treatment decisions and prevent irreversible damage? 
  • Applicants do not need to address all three and may propose different scientifically credible approaches, provided they are strongly aligned with the overarching thematic focus and MISSION’s translational objectives.
  • Proposals may address either one or multiple disease context(s) where immune homeostasis, immune dysregulation or inflammation is a meaningful driver of disease.

Eligibility

The Lead Investigator (Lead-I) should:

  1. Hold at least 0.7 FTE primary appointment in a Singapore publicly funded research organisation or institute of higher learning;
  2. Run a laboratory or research programme that carries out research in Singapore; and
  3. Have a track record of leadership ability in coordinating research programmes and providing mentorship to research team, as well as having productive research outcomes. 

Exceptions to eligibility criteria will be considered on a case-by-case basis with the submission of a waiver request. Please write to the HHP MISSION Programme Office (connect@hhp-mission.sg) by 19 October 2026 prior to submitting your application.

Funding Details
Up to S$5M (including 30% indirect costs), over 3 years.

Submission/Application procedure

  • This call has a quota of 2 submissions per institution from A*STAR.   
  • Applicant should submit their applications to their Host Institution Research Offices for internal shortlisting, and refer to them for guidance on internal deadlines & procedures.
  • Nominated applicants are to complete the attached forms
    • ‘HHP_MISSION_Stream1_Application_Form (caa 12 Aug 2026)
    • ‘HHP MISSION_Proposal_Budget_Excel_Template (caa 12 Aug 2026)'
  • Applications must be endorsed by Host Institution’s Research Director (or equivalent).
  • Applications should be submitted through their respective Host Institution Research office to the HHP MISSION Programme Office (connect@hhp-mission.sg) by 26 October 2026 (Monday), 12pm. 

Note: Applicants are encouraged to engage their respective Host Institution Research office early w.r.t. process and timelines.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be assessed based on the following:

  • Scientific/clinical importance of the opportunity being addressed (Is this a genuine translational blocker, not an academic research gap?)
  • The strength of the translational thesis (How likely is this to work?)
  • The credibility of the execution plan (Are the approach, team, milestones and budget realistic?)
  • The differentiation and value proposition of the proposal (Is the approach meaningfully better than existing standard of care/practice?)
  • The ability of the project to generate evidence that supports a continue, pivot, stop, or handoff decision (i.e. go/no-go decision points)

Contact person 

For enquiries on HHP Misson Stream 1, please contact the HHP MISSION Programme Office at connect@hhp-mission.sg.

Milestones

Milestone Date
Grant call opens 31 Aug 2026, Monday
Submission deadline 26 Oct 2026, Monday, 12 noon (SGT)
Shortlisting and pitches Further details will be communicated to shortlisted applicants by Dec 2026
In-principle award Target by end-Mar 2027

 

Additional Information

Please refer to HHP MISSION website or the following attachments. 

  1.  ‘HHP_MISSION_Stream1_Application_Form (caa 12 Aug 2026)’
  2.  ‘HHP MISSION_Proposal_Budget_Excel_Template (caa 12 Aug 2026)’
  3.  ‘31 July 2026 HHP MISSION Stream 1 Virtual Launch Roadshow Deck’