New Ideas Award — Early-Stage Research on Autism and Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders

About this program

The Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) offers New Ideas Awards to support bold, exploratory research testing novel hypotheses in autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders, across any discipline, methodology, or experimental system. Awards provide up to $300,000 annually for a maximum of two years, including 20% indirect costs, with letters of intent accepted on a rolling basis beginning April 29, 2026. Applicants and key collaborators must hold a Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent and have faculty-level or equivalent positions at eligible research institutions; postdoctoral associates may not serve as principal investigators. Domestic and foreign nonprofit institutions may apply, excluding institutions and subcontracts in China or Hong Kong, and applicants are limited to one submission per calendar year.