The Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) aims to enhance the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) by supporting high-quality, relevant innovative research. It emphasizes the importance of diversity in the scientific community as a crucial component for advancing autism science.
The SFARI Pilot Award aims to support exploratory research ideas, particularly those presenting novel hypotheses that might be considered higher risk but have the potential for transformative results. Specifically, it seeks to fund projects that could help connect genetic or other ASD risk factors with molecular, cellular, circuit, or behavioral mechanisms, thereby laying the groundwork for new interventions. This grant is especially intended for investigators new to autism research and encourages projects that are not continuations of existing work. The Pilot Award explicitly excludes projects focused solely on human subjects, directing such research towards the Human Cognitive and Behavioral Science RFA instead. With a budget of up to $300,000 (including 20 percent indirect costs) spread over a two-year period, the Award is designed to be flexible, allowing for variations in budget and project scope as deemed necessary for the proposed research.