HHP MISSION STREAM 1

Upcoming Stream 1 2026 Funding Call

Last updated 12 August 2026

The inaugural HHP MISSION Stream 1 call is currently planned to open at the end of August 2026 and remain open for approximately six weeks.

The full call application package, including supporting documents, confirmed timelines and submission requirements, will be released when the call opens.

STREAM 1

HHP MISSION Stream 1 supports focused, translationally anchored projects that advance sufficiently novel and differentiated approaches to improve upon the current standard of care in a specific biological or disease context, with the aim of generating tangible outputs and decision-enabling evidence within 2.5 to 3 years and an indicative funding envelope of up to S$5M (incl. 30% indirect costs).
HHP MISSION Stream 1 is not a conventional discovery grant. Applicants should make the case for why the proposed approach is worth pursuing now, what improvement it could enable over current standards or alternatives, and what decision-enabling evidence will be generated through the project.
Applicants should clearly define:
- the novelty and differentiation of the approach over the current standard of care/practice;
- the tangible translational output(s) they expect to generate;
- the evidence required to justify further investment, development, or handoff; and
- the downstream pathway that could become possible if the project succeeds.
Proposals will be assessed on the 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?) and the ability of the project to generate evidence that supports a continue, pivot, stop, or handoff decision (i.e. go/no-go decision points). Tangible outputs may include validated targets, enabling platforms, candidate assets, prototypes, assays, datasets, algorithms, commercialisable IP, or handoff-ready packages for downstream development.

FIRST WAVE FOCUS AREA

For this call, the thematic focus area is immune homeostasis, immune dysregulation and inflammation as drivers of disease.

The illustrative challenge areas below show the expected scope and ambition for Stream 1 proposals:

Illustrative challenge areas for Stream 1 proposals:

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 cell states that drive disease, and reveal precise opportunities to restore immune homeostasis?

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 and track immune dysregulation early enough to change treatment decisions and prevent irreversible damage?

The three challenge statements and examples are illustrative rather than prescriptive. 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.

Stream 1 2026 Funding Call - First Wave Thematic Focus Area & Illustrative Challenge Statements

GUIDANCE FOR APPLICANTS: ILLUSTRATIVE SCOPE & EXPECTATIONS

These examples indicate the types of projects that could be supported under Stream 1:

Example #1

Using human cell/tissue-derived systems that capture complex, integrated disease states, apply cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, to uncover and validate dysregulated pathways or cell states that drive disease persistence, relapse, progression or tissue injury.

Example #2

Establish proof-of-concept for a targeted approach to modulate a defined pathway or cell state in a specific tissue context, with the potential to modulate/reset dysregulated immune responses or restore tissue homeostasis while reducing reliance on broad systemic immunosuppression.

Guiding principles for Example #1 and #2:

Proposals should improve upon the current standard of care, e.g. enhancing efficacy, addressing inadequate depth or durability of response, or widening the therapeutic index. This could include targeting pathogenic cell states, resetting dysregulated biological responses, restoring tissue homeostasis or achieving tissue-specific modulation.
Proposals should be grounded in human data or biologically relevant human systems, rather than relying primarily on conventional animal models or studies of isolated cell populations. They should generate convincing evidence that the proposed intervention can modulate the identified pathway or cell state and produce a meaningful disease-modifying impact, coupled with a tractable path towards therapeutic development.

Example #3

Develop medical devices or clinically actionable tests (e.g. immunodiagnostic, molecular-diagnostics, imaging or AI-driven diagnostics) that improve the diagnosis or management of immune dysregulation in a defined high-value disease context.

Guiding principles for Example #3:

Proposals should focus on a specific decision point where current clinical classification is inadequate, such as identifying high-risk patients, distinguishing active inflammatory disease from irreversible tissue damage, predicting relapse or progression, or selecting patients for targeted immune-modulating therapies.
Proposals should generate early evidence linking the proposed technology to a clinically meaningful decision point or outcome, and a feasible diagnostic, companion diagnostic or medical device product path.

STREAM 1 2026 FUNDING CALL (OPENING SOON)

The HHP MISSION Programme Office is pleased to share these application materials in advance of the inaugural funding call, to help prospective applicants familiarise themselves with the application requirements and begin preparing their proposals.

Download the Stream 1 Application Form Download the accompanying proposal budget template