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 is designed to support early exploratory ideas, particularly those with novel hypotheses, in the domain of autism research. It encourages high-risk projects that could potentially transform our understanding or treatment of autism. The award is particularly aimed at newcomers to the autism field, to support research linking ASD risk factors to biological or behavioral mechanisms, potentially paving the way for new interventions. Projects should be exploratory in nature and distinct from ongoing research efforts. The award offers up to $300,000 over two years, with flexibility in budget and duration to match the project's specific aims. Projects existing beyond the exploratory phase or that simply continue ongoing research are not suited for this award.