SFARI Mission

The mission of the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) is to improve the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) by funding innovative research of the highest quality and relevance.

To this end, we solicit applications for Pilot Awards from individuals who will conduct bold, imaginative, rigorous and relevant research.

Objective of the Pilot Award

The goal of the Pilot Award is to provide early support for exploratory ideas, particularly those with novel hypotheses. Appropriate projects for this mechanism include those considered higher risk but with the potential for transformative results, including work in human subjects. Projects that represent continuations of ongoing work (whether funded by SFARI or other funders) are not appropriate for this mechanism.

This funding mechanism is particularly suitable for investigators who are new to the autism field, though we encourage those new to the field to consult with experts in autism research to ensure their projects are relevant to the human condition.

In particular, we encourage applications that propose research to link genetic or other ASD risk factors to molecular, cellular, circuit or behavioral mechanisms and set the stage for development of novel interventions. Please read more about SFARI’s scientific perspectives. We also strongly advise applicants to familiarize themselves with the currently funded projects and resources that SFARI supports and to think about how their proposals might complement existing efforts.

As with other Pilot projects, proposals in human subjects should be relevant, novel, exploratory, high-risk and with the potential for transformative results. They may test new mechanisms, employ new technology or analytics, or take innovative approaches to phenotyping or stratification that stand to move the field forward in transformative ways. Given the heterogeneity and multifactorial causes of ASD, SFARI places a premium on the use of well-characterized and sufficiently powered cohorts. To facilitate recruitment of cohorts with well-characterized ASD and associated neurodevelopmental disabilities, SFARI has developed the Research Match program, which helps investigators recruit participants from Simons collections, including SPARK and Simons Searchlight. RFA applicants are strongly encouraged, but not required, to use Research Match as part of their participation recruitment strategy. Recognizing that sufficiently-powered work in humans can be costly, projects employing human subjects will have the option for a separate (higher) budget track, as detailed below.

Level and Duration of Funding

The total budget of a Pilot Award is $300,000 or less, including 20 percent indirect costs, over a period of up to two (2) years. Projects proposing research in human subjects may request a higher budget (up to $500,000 over 2 years), but must include a compelling justification, particularly for the required level of effort of all key personnel. Allowable indirect costs to the primary institution for subcontracts are not included in the total budget threshold (see our grant policies). We encourage investigators to take advantage of the flexibility in budget and duration, tailoring the scope of the award as appropriate for their specific aims. Proposed budgets will be assessed on the appropriateness for the scope of work and merit of commitment. Larger budgets invite heightened scrutiny. We strongly encourage investigators considering budgets that exceed our guidelines to consult SFARI before submission (please contact [email protected]).

Funds are expected to be expended as requested during each annual budget period.

Please note that in the event of budgetary or other considerations the Simons Foundation reserves the right to refer an application to the Simons Foundation International, Ltd. (SFI) for consideration and funding, in which case SFI’s grant policies would apply.

Eligibility

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.

Applications may be submitted by domestic and foreign nonprofit organizations; public and private institutions, such as colleges, universities, hospitals, laboratories, and units of state and local government; and eligible agencies of the federal government. There are no citizenship or country requirements.

Multiple Applications, Resubmissions and Renewals

Unsuccessful applications submitted to previous SFARI RFAs may be resubmitted to this RFA, if relevant. For all resubmissions, we ask principal investigators (PIs) to submit a statement of changes describing substantive changes to the application since the previous submission. If the previous application was externally reviewed, this document should include point-by-point responses to the reviewers’ critiques. If the revised application does not include substantive changes, it is unlikely that the outcome will change. This is especially true for applications that were not externally reviewed, as this decision is often based on the relevance of the project to SFARI’s mission. We also will not accept applications that have previously been considered three or more times (regardless of which RFA they were previously submitted to).

Investigators may submit multiple applications on different topics. However, it is highly unlikely that two awards will be made to the same PI within one RFA cycle.

Given the focus of this RFA on bold, imaginative new ideas, it is unlikely that a renewal of a currently funded project (either from SFARI or elsewhere) will be a good fit for this RFA. We encourage investigators to seek continuation support from outside funding sources, or, if eligible, to consider applying to the Pilot Progression RFA, which will open for applications in April 2024. Decisions on new proposals from current SFARI Investigators will include the evaluation of progress on previous or ongoing SFARI grants.

Instructions for Submission

Applications must be submitted via the Simons Award Manager (SAM). Please click on the Funding Opportunities icon and navigate to the Autism Research – Pilot Award – 2024 call. Click the Create Application button to begin. Applications should be started and submitted under the applicant’s own account in SAM.

Application templates will be available in SAM on April 11, 2024. Applications will include a Specific Aims page and a 3-page Proposal Narrative. Up to 10 figures can be included separately and do not count towards the page limit.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Many of the greatest ideas and discoveries come from a diverse mix of minds, backgrounds and experiences. The Simons Foundation is committed to grantmaking that inspires and supports greater diversity and inclusiveness by cultivating a funding environment that ensures representation of all identities and differences and equitable access to information and resources for all applicants and grantees.

The Simons Foundation provides equal opportunities to all applicants for funding without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, pregnancy, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic disposition, neurodiversity, disability, veteran status or any other protected category under federal, state and local law. We also fund programs directed at supporting scientists from disadvantaged backgrounds or underrepresented groups, often working closely with professional societies and other funding agencies.

The submission deadline is Thursday, June 13, 2024, 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Applications must be submitted via the Simons Award Manager (SAM). Please click on the Funding Opportunities icon and navigate to the call for the Autism Research – Pilot Award – 2024. Click the Create Application button to begin. Applications should be started and submitted under the applicant’s own account in SAM.

Please note that anyone submitting an application will be added to the SFARI newsletter mailing list.

Informational videos on submitting applications in SAM can be found here.

Application Submission Instructions:

To submit an application, the following sections must be completed:

1. Proposal Tab:
   1. Applicant Details & Personal Data: Please complete the required fields listed below. The applicant may use the Edit Profile button to update their information as needed.
      1. Position/Job Title
      2. Academic Rank
      3. ORCID iD
   2. Personal Data: Disclosing demographic information is voluntary; however, a response is required for all demographic questions. If you do not wish to disclose any information, please select the “Prefer not to disclose” option for each question. To complete this section, please use the Edit Profile button. Please note that you will not be able to submit your application until a response has been provided for each demographic question.
   3. Academic Degrees: Click the Add/Modify Degree(s) button to provide this information.
   4. Application Details: Please complete the required fields below. Hovering over the question mark icons will provide additional information on required fields.
      1. Title: Enter a project title.
      2. Start Date and End Date: All start dates must be on the first of the month and end dates must be on the last day of the month. Awards should span two years (e.g. February 1, 2025 to January 31, 2027).
   5. Is this a resubmission?: Please select Yes if you have previously submitted an application to this program. You will be asked to enter the SAM or ProposalCentral (pC) ID.
   6. Proposal – The following information/upload must be provided:
      1. Simons Collections Data and/or Biospecimens: indicate accordingly.
      2. Specific Aims: Upload via template provided.
      3. Proposal Narrative: Upload via template provided.
      4. Personnel Biosketches: Please upload a biosketch for all key personnel on the project using the template provided or using your NIH biosketch or NIH SciENcv.
      5. Resources and Research Environment: Upload via template provided.
      6. Progress Report: Only required for investigators currently receiving SFARI funding on science relevant for current proposal. If required, upload via template provided.
      7. Investigational Compound Information Sheet: Only required for investigators proposing to use investigational compounds or chemicals for which public information is not yet available. If required, upload via template provided.
      8. Human Participants Study Information Sheet: Only required for investigators proposing human participant research/clinical studies. If required, upload using template provided.
      9. Other: Upload any application materials that were specifically requested. Additionally, in-press papers can be included, as well as any papers that you consider essential for the work of the review committee. Include no more than three (3) papers. Any other material should be included, if possible, in the narrative.
   7. Data & Renewable Reagents: Indicate your plan for sharing data and renewable reagents (if applicable) by answering the provided questions.
2. Contacts and Personnel Tab:
   1. Institution Administrative Contacts: At least one institution signing official and financial officer must be added to the Institution Administrative Contacts section before you will be able to submit your application.
   2. Project Personnel: Please indicate all key personnel on the proposed project. Key personnel include the PI and other individuals who contribute to the scientific development or execution of a project in a substantive, measurable way, whether or not they request salaries or compensation. This may include co-investigators, collaborators, postdoctoral research associates or equivalent employee positions.
      1. Project personnel who will be named in the budget must be added to the Project Personnel section on this tab before they will display as available options in the budget module. This does not apply to TBD personnel.
      2. Instructions for multi-site applications: The Spokesperson PI will be the designated contact for the project. The Spokesperson PI will be responsible for directing the project and will coordinate all administrative deliverables.
         1. Applications with multiple PIs from different institutions that would like to be paid separately must list the additional PI(s) in the Project Personnel section and use the Application Role dropdown that indicates “Principle Investigator (Multi-Site).” This will generate a linked application that the additional PI and their institution must complete. Additional PIs will be notified via email that they have been invited to participate in a collaboration and will be able to access their application upon logging into SAM, which includes a budget and requires sign-off by a signing official from the individual PI’s institution. Additional PIs can work on their applications at the same time as the Spokesperson PI.
         2. Applications with multiple PIs from different institutions that would like to be paid directly by the main institution are considered subcontracts. Subcontract PIs should be listed in the Project Personnel section either with or without access.
            1. Subcontract PIs with access should be added using the Application Role dropdown that indicated “Subcontract Lead – With Application Access,” which will generate an email notification that they have been added to the application with access to view or edit the main or any subcontract budgets.
            2. Subcontract Leads without access should be added using the Application Role dropdown that indicates “Key Personnel (Including Subcontracts) – Without Application Access,” which will not notify the Subcontract PI and will not give them access. Instead, this allows the contact PI to fill out the subcontract budget on their behalf.
         3. Applications from multiple PIs at the same institution do not need to submit additional materials. Additional non-applicant PIs can be added to this section as “Key Personnel – With Access” or “Key Personnel (Including Subcontracts) – Without Application Access.” Under “add more details,” select the role “Non-Contact Principal Investigator.”
3. Budget Tab: Click the Edit/Modify button to add a detailed budget. Any errors that must be corrected before submission will be displayed in red above the budget. If a budget has more than one period, using the “copy from previous period” functionality will copy items from the previous period into the current period.
   1. Subcontract Budgets, including budgets with PIs from different institutions who would like to be paid directly by the main institution, will be visible once the Subcontract is added in the Contacts and Key Personnel tab as described above.
   2. Multi-site budgets from different institutions that would like to be paid separately will be visible on each PI’s individual application, but they will not be able to see any individual salary information. They will see an aggregated personnel total.
   3. Budget Considerations
      1. Personnel: Please note that there is no salary cap for PIs or other faculty on a Simons Foundation grant; however, the compensation is prorated according to the individual’s percent effort on the grant. There is no minimum percent effort required for PIs or other personnel on any SFARI award type, but it is expected that the PI will commit sufficient effort to this project to provide a leading intellectual and guiding role on the project. PIs committing less than 15 percent effort to their project should justify their effort level in detail. SFARI funds may be used only for personnel considered employees of the grantee institution who are eligible for benefits. Funds may not be used for stipend or benefit supplementation unless specifically authorized under the terms of the program from which funds are derived. The Simons Foundation reserves the right to modify budgets when an application has been selected for an award (see Simons Foundation policies).
      2. Indirect costs (IDCs): Indirect costs to the primary institution are limited to 20 percent of direct costs with the following exceptions: equipment, tuition and any portion of each subcontract in excess of $25,000. The primary institution may take indirect costs on the first $25,000 modified total direct costs of each subcontract. Indirect costs paid to a subcontractor may not exceed 20 percent of the modified total direct costs paid to the subcontractor.
      3. Equipment: The Simons Foundation will own equipment purchased with foundation grant funds with a unit cost of $50,000 or more. At the end of the grant funding period or in the case of grant termination for any reason, the foundation reserves the right to retain ownership or cede ownership to the PI’s institution. Equipment with a unit cost of less than $50,000 shall be the property of the institution.
4. Abstract & Keywords Tab: Provide an abstract for the proposed project in the Technical Abstract text box.
5. Publications & Other Support Tab:
   1. Publications: Follow instructions for providing publications for all key personnel on the project. Publications can be added as a batch from a PubMed search by selecting Select publication from profile and then clicking the Assign publications for this proposal button. Note that publications will be used to determine conflicts of interest (COIs) for the review of your proposal.
   2. Other Support: Follow instructions for providing other support information for all key personnel on the project.
      1. If using PDF upload, use NIH format.
6. Organization Assurances: Indicate if the application has organizational assurances.
7. Check Application Progress: Click the Check Application Progress button to check for any missing required information or files. All missing required information will be listed at the top of the screen and must be corrected before the application can be submitted.
8. Send for sign-off: When the application is complete, click on the Send for sign-off button to send to your signing official for signature. You will receive a notification when the application is signed.
9. Submit Application: When the full proposal application is complete and signed, click on the Submit Application button. A confirmation page will appear once the application is successfully submitted. It will appear in the Submitted tab of the Applications in Progress table. Please note that you will not be able to submit an application if the deadline has passed.

Please note that in the event of budgetary or other considerations the Simons Foundation reserves the right to refer an application to the Simons Foundation International, Ltd. (SFI) for consideration and funding, in which case SFI’s grant policies would apply.

Please note that narratives exceeding the three (3)-page limit will not be reviewed. Not included in the page limit are figures (up to 10, each fitting on one page), figure legends and references (formatted in the Journal of Neuroscience style).