Applications are online and must be submitted online through proposalCENTRAL. New users first need to create a user account on proposalCENTRAL (https://proposalcentral.altum.com/). For instructions on how to create a user account, please see question 2 below. For all users, log in and select “Create New Proposal” or click on the “Grant Opportunities” tab. Filter the Grant Maker by “Simons Foundation” and click on “Apply Now” next to the “Genomic Analysis for Autism Risk Variants in SPARK Request for Applications” program. Once all sections are complete and the attachments are uploaded, the “Submit” button will be activated.

Go to https://proposalcentral.altum.com/ and click “Create one now” under “Need an account?” Fill in the required fields, check the boxes to agree to proposalCENTRAL’s terms of service and acceptable use policy, and then click “Save.”

No, postdoctoral associates may not apply as PIs. All applicants and key collaborators must hold a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent degree and have a faculty position or the equivalent at a college, university, medical school or other research facility.

Yes. If the proposal includes multiple PIs at more than one site, all investigators should have demonstrated prior success in similar collaborations.

For projects that have multiple PIs at different institutions, applications must be submitted by the PI designated as the contact PI and his/her institution. All applicants and key collaborators must hold a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent degree and have a faculty position or the equivalent at a college, university, medical school or other research facility, and must submit a biosketch and a list of current and pending support.

Applications with multiple PIs from different institutions who will be paid directly by the contact PI’s institution are considered subcontracts.

Yes. Please upload, if available, a copy of your U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 501(c)(3) determination or equivalency letter as part of the application. The Simons Foundation requires a determination letter from the IRS stating exemption under 501(c)(3) and, furthermore, a 509(a)(1), (2) or (3) classification. If an international institution is selected for funding and does not have this documentation, the Simons Foundation will require the institution to complete an equivalency determination with NGOsource (see Simons Foundation policies).

Applications may be submitted by for-profit companies, in which case the funds provided for the grant are to be used only for charitable purposes to support research related to autism spectrum disorders.

Applicants will be selected based on qualifications and experience with the topic(s) relevant to the program. Competitive applications will receive external peer review. Notification of application status is expected by November 14, 2018.

No, the Notice of Intent is not required for application submission, but we request that investigators who intend to submit a proposal send an email by June 22, 2018, with the intended investigators’ names and affiliations and their intended proposal’s title to [email protected]with the subject line: SPARK Genomic RFA Notice of Intent.

The Notice of Intent is not the same as a formal Letter of Intent. Approval is not required for application submission.

Yes, you can add users with administrator access to the proposalCENTRAL application so that someone other than the Principal Investigator (PI) can edit and submit the application. To add another user, go to section 3, “Enable Other Users to Access This Proposal,” and complete the required fields.

No. Validating checks for errors and omissions and will alert you to missing application requirements. If the application is complete, you must then click “Submit.” You will receive an email within 10 minutes, and you should contact [email protected] if you do not receive confirmation and do not see your application in the “Submitted” drop-down tab or with the status changed to “Submitted.”

The “Validate” button reviews your application for missing sections. The submission instructions list the required sections and attachments. You must complete the missing sections listed. If you are still receiving error messages after completing and saving the indicated sections, please contact [email protected].

The “Submit” button is located in the last section of the application. You will be unable to submit if you have not provided all the required information. If your application is complete and you are unable to submit it, please contact [email protected].

You must contact the Simons Foundation to un-submit your full application before you can edit attachments or HTML sections. Please email [email protected] or call 646-654-0066 if you would like to un-submit your application prior to the July 27, 2018, deadline.

A confirmation email is sent upon submission of the application. Please contact [email protected] if you submitted your application and have not received a confirmation email within 10 minutes. Make sure that your spam filters allow emails from [email protected].

We do not require letters of support or letters of collaboration for Co-investigators.

There is no minimum percent effort requirement for any personnel, but we expect personnel, in particular PIs and Co-investigators, to have efforts that reflect their roles in the project.

Applications with subcontracts must submit a subcontract budget for each subcontract awardee and grant year. The applicant PI must include the direct-cost budget totals for all subcontracts in the “Consortium & Contractual Direct” section and indirect costs for all subcontracts in the “Subcontract Indirect Costs”section. The subcontract budget can be downloaded and uploaded in the “Proposal Attachments” section of the full application on proposalCENTRAL.

The funding period is for 18 months in the range of $100,000, not including 20 percent of the modified total direct costs (see Simons Foundation policies), beginning December 1, 2018.

References, figures and figure legends are not included in the page limit for the full proposal. Please attach them at the end of the six-page narrative in the same PDF file. The Simons Foundation’s preference is for figures to follow the narrative rather than be embedded in the text.

‘In-press’ papers can be included as appendices, as well as any papers that you consider essential for the work of the review committee (not more than three). Any other material should be included, if possible, in the narrative.

If you have video attachments for your proposal, please upload them as an appendix (all file types are accepted). All appendices should be uploaded in the “Proposal Attachments” section of the application.

11-point, legible font and 0.5-inch margins.

No, only the signing official is required to sign the signature page.

Yes, researchers must send a copy of manuscripts to SFARI in parallel to submitting to journals.

You can access and request information about SPARK data on SFARI Base. Please see our SPARK resources website for more information (https://www.sfari.org/resource/spark/). If you do not have a SFARI ID, you must create one. If you have problems with the login or have questions regarding the collections, please email [email protected].

Principal Investigator

The individual(s) judged by the applicant organization to have the appropriate level of authority and responsibility to direct the project or program supported by the grant. All Principal Investigators (PIs) must hold a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent degree and have a faculty position or the equivalent at a college, university, medical school or other research facility. He or she is responsible and accountable to the applicant organization and SFARI for the proper conduct of the project or activity, including the submission of all required reports. He or she will act as the main point of contact for the foundation. There is no minimum percent effort required for a PI, but it is expected that the PI will join the collaborative community of SFARI Investigators and that he or she will take part in some of the conferences, workshops and symposia that the foundation organizes.

The applicant organization may designate multiple individuals as PIs who share the authority and responsibility for leading and directing the project, intellectually and logistically. Each PI is responsible and accountable to the applicant organization or, as appropriate, to a collaborating organization for the proper conduct of the project or program, including the submission of all required reports. The presence of more than one identified PI on an application or award diminishes neither the responsibility nor the accountability of any individual PI.

The PI under whose name the application is submitted will serve as the contact PI for administrative purposes. The contact PI must be affiliated with the institution submitting the application. The contact PI will be responsible for communication between SFARI and the rest of the leadership team.

The role type ‘Co-PI’ will not be used by SFARI. 

Co-investigator

An individual involved with the PI in the scientific development or execution of a project. The Co-investigator must hold a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent degree and be employed by, or be affiliated with, the applicant/grantee organization or another organization participating in the project under a consortium agreement. A Co-investigator is considered Key Personnel, but the Simons Foundation does not require a minimum effort from the Co-investigator. The designation of a Co-investigator, if applicable, does not affect the PI’s roles and responsibilities, nor is it a role implying multiple PIs.

Consultant

An individual providing professional advice or services on the basis of a written agreement. Consultants are not normally employees of the organization receiving the services. Consultants also include firms providing professional advice or services.

Postdoctoral Research Associate or equivalent employee position

An individual who has received a doctoral degree (or its equivalent) and is engaged over a temporary and defined period in mentored advanced training to enhance the professional skills and research independence needed to pursue his or her chosen career path. The Postdoctoral Research Associate performs specific services in exchange for compensation, and he or she is treated as an employee of the grantee institution, with benefits.

SFARI funds may be used only for personnel who are employees of the grantee institution and eligible for benefits. Funds may not be used for stipend supplementation unless specifically authorized under the terms of the program from which funds are derived.