2023 Cross-Species Studies of ASD — Request for Applications

Grants awarded through the Cross-Species Studies of ASD request for applications (RFA) are intended to support multi-disciplinary teams of PIs with expertise in both human and animal research to perform coordinated cross-species studies to advance our understanding of ASD-relevant behaviors and their underlying neurobiological mechanisms, with the potential for developing novel biomarkers or interventions.

Applicants may request a maximum of $400,000, inclusive of 20 percent indirect costs, for each year of funding over a period of two (2) to three (3) years. To allow potential applicants ample time to identify appropriate collaborators and conceptualize their projects, we are publishing this RFA call now; we will begin accepting applications on April 5, 2023.

Important Dates
  • Application Available:
  • Application Deadline:
  • Award Notification:
  • Award Start Date:
    Awards may begin as early as January 2024, but we encourage PIs to select a project start date that best accommodates the needs of their project. Funds are expected to be expended as requested during each annual budget period. Projects must begin on the first of the month.
Important Dates
  • Application Available:
  • Application Deadline:
  • Award Notification:
  • Award Start Date:
    Awards may begin as early as January 2024, but we encourage PIs to select a project start date that best accommodates the needs of their project. Funds are expected to be expended as requested during each annual budget period. Projects must begin on the first of the month.
Contact Info
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Important Dates
  • Application Available:
  • Application Deadline:
  • Award Notification:
  • Award Start Date:
    Awards may begin as early as January 2024, but we encourage PIs to select a project start date that best accommodates the needs of their project. Funds are expected to be expended as requested during each annual budget period. Projects must begin on the first of the month.
Contact Info

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.

Background and Objective

SFARI has long supported studies in humans (including in the Human Cognitive and Behavioral Science RFA) and in non-human animals, with both focused on improving our understanding of ASD. However, as discussed at a workshop in 2018 and in many venues since then, improving coordination of the research performed in humans and in model organisms would greatly benefit ASD research (as well as other areas of psychiatric and neuroscience research, refs 1–2). Studies in animals seeking to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying behavior are more likely to be relevant to the human condition if the phenotypes under study in animals are known to be conserved in humans and germane to ASD. Conversely, studies of neural mechanisms and behavior in humans are likely to be enriched by incorporation of novel quantitative methods and analytic tools used in studies of non-human animals. Grants awarded through the Cross-Species Studies of ASD request for applications (RFA) are intended to support multi-disciplinary teams of PIs with expertise in both human and animal research to perform coordinated cross-species studies to advance our understanding of ASD-relevant behaviors and their underlying neurobiological mechanisms, with the potential for developing novel biomarkers or interventions.

Scientific Scope and Priorities

The Cross-Species Studies of ASD RFA will support research on ASD-relevant behaviors and their underlying neurobiological mechanisms conducted in parallel across human and non-human animals. Because the focus is on translation across species, in addition to being relevant to ASD, the behaviors under study should be conserved across species and able to be measured objectively and quantitatively. Three domains SFARI recognizes as fitting these criteria include sensory function, motor function and sleep, although other behaviors will be considered if there is a strong argument that they meet these criteria. All three of these domains are recognized as being affected in many people with ASD (see refs 3–6 for background), with sensory atypicalities now included in the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for autism. Competitive applications will not only study the same general behavioral domains in humans and non-human animals, but be able to measure truly analogous behaviors in humans and model animals, e.g., by aligning the tasks used and/or tapping into a shared computational construct in both species (see ref 7 for an example study of this type from another field).

Beyond measuring behaviors in parallel across species, special emphasis is placed on furthering our understanding of the underlying neurobiological mechanisms with an eye towards developing novel biomarkers or interventions. Therefore, behaviors for which there is evidence of evolutionary conservation of such mechanisms, e.g., at the circuit level, will be prioritized. Studies in animals should take advantage of the use of more invasive techniques that would not be possible in humans, yet attempt to link findings from such techniques with analogous measurements in humans, e.g., LFP/EEG, or mesoscale Ca2+ imaging/fMRI (ref 8).

In addition to aligning measurements of behavior and circuit function across species, we encourage applicants to carefully consider other traits of their study subjects, both human and non-human species, including age, sex, and genotype or genetic background. While there is no rigorous way to model “idiopathic” ASD in non-human animals, we encourage applicants to carefully consider and rationalize comparisons of humans with idiopathic and/or known genetic causes of ASD with genetically modified animal models.

Collaboration Across Funded Groups

In addition to ensuring that researchers carrying out studies in animals and humans are working in parallel within each funded project, SFARI will facilitate coordination across projects funded through this RFA. While the details are yet to be determined, these will include periodic meetings among funded investigators to discuss challenges and share research findings. We hope that these serve as organic collaborative opportunities, with funded groups sharing protocols, data and reagents with other consortium members and SFARI throughout the grant period. Adherence to the open-science ethos of the research consortium will be an important consideration in yearly assessments. Costs associated with attending any SFARI-initiated meetings will be covered separately by the Simons Foundation.

Level and Duration of Funding

Applicants may request a maximum of $400,000, inclusive of 20 percent indirect costs, for each year of funding over a period of two (2) to three (3) years. Allowable Indirect costs to the primary institution for subcontracts are not included in the total budget threshold (see 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. As with all SFARI-funded projects, it is at Simons Foundation’s discretion to modify final budgets as needed.

Human Participant Recruitment and Sample Sizes

Given the heterogeneity and multifactorial causes of ASD, SFARI places a premium on the use of well-characterized and sufficiently powered cohorts for studies in humans. To facilitate recruitment of cohorts with well-characterized ASD and associated neurodevelopmental disabilities, SFARI has developed the Research Match program. Research Match is a robust in-house program to help investigators recruit participants from Simons collections, including SPARK and Simons Searchlight. SPARK is an ASD-defined cohort of more than 100,000 recontactable autistic individuals and their family members, with more than 50,000 of whom have supporting phenotyping data and complete exome sequencing data. Simons Searchlight includes individuals carrying mutations in 153 genes or 23 copy number variants for which family, medical, developmental and behavioral information has been collected. The 1,500-plus participants with rare disorders in Simons Searchlight can be recruited for additional studies through SFARI Research Match and may be of particular interest for comparison to animal models with mutations in the same genes. RFA applicants are strongly encouraged, but not required, to use Research Match as part of their participation recruitment strategy.

Review Process

Applications will be evaluated by the SFARI science team, with a subset selected for further evaluation by an external review panel. Competitive applications will be invited to present their proposal to the SFARI science team and invited scientists.

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.

Principal investigators (PIs) who do not have substantial expertise with ASD participants should include a close collaborator with such expertise on their grant application (e.g., multi-PI application). For animal researchers interested in applying to this RFA who do not have an existing collaboration with someone who studies humans with ASD, please reach out to SFARI staff via [email protected]; we may be able to help identify appropriate and interested potential collaborators.

SFARI recognizes the importance of diverse viewpoints for scientific advancement. As such, SFARI encourages the inclusion of researchers who span career stages and groups historically underrepresented in science.

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.

Instructions for Submission

Applications must be submitted via the Simons Award Manager (SAM), which will open for applications on April 5, 2023. Applications are due by June 15, 2023, 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern Time. Please click on the Funding Opportunities icon and navigate to the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative — Cross-Species Studies RFA call. Click the Create Application button to begin. Applications should be started and submitted under the applicant’s own account in SAM.

Informational Sessions for Potential Applicants

To answer questions about this RFA, SFARI held an informational Zoom meeting on January 23, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. EST. The video replay of the informational session can be found here.

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. The foundation also funds programs directed at supporting scientists from disadvantaged backgrounds or underrepresented groups, often working closely with professional societies and other funding agencies.

References

  1. Badre D., Frank M.J., and Moore C.I. (2015). Interactionist Neuroscience. Neuron 88, 855–860.
  2. Nour M.M., Liu Y., and Dolan R.J. (2022). Functional neuroimaging in psychiatry and the case for failing better. Neuron 110(16): 2524-2544.
  3. Robertson C.E. and Baron-Cohen S. Sensory perception in autism. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 2017 Nov.; 18(11):671-684.
  4. Rujuta B. Wilson R.B., Enticott P.G., and Rinehart N.J. Motor development and delay: advances in assessment of motor skills in autism spectrum disorders. Curr. Opin. Neurol. 2018 April; 31(2): 134–139.
  5. Zampella C.J., Wang L.A., Haley M., Hutchinson A.G., and de Marchen A. Motor Skill Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Clinically Focused Review. Current Psychiatry Reports (2021) 23: 64.
  6. Olivia J. Veatch O.J., Maxwell-Horn A.C., and Malow B.A. Sleep in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Curr. Sleep Med. Rep. 2015 June; 1(2): 131–140.
  7. Barron H.C., Reeve H.M., Koolschijn R.S., Perestenko P.V., Shpektor A.,
    Nili H., Rothaermel R., Campo-Urriza N., O’Reilly J.X., Bannerman D.M., Behrens T.E.J., and Dupret D. (2020). Neuronal Computation Underlying Inferential Reasoning in Humans and Mice. Cell 183, 228–243.
  8. Barron H.C., Mars R.B., Dupret D., Lerch J.P., and Sampaio-Baptista C. (2021). Cross-species neuroscience: Closing the explanatory gap. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B Biol. Sci. 376, 20190633.
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Important Dates
  • Application Available:
  • Application Deadline:
  • Award Notification:
  • Award Start Date:
    Awards may begin as early as January 2024, but we encourage PIs to select a project start date that best accommodates the needs of their project. Funds are expected to be expended as requested during each annual budget period. Projects must begin on the first of the month.
Contact Info

The deadline for application submission is Thursday, June 15, 2023, 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern Time

Applications must be submitted via the Simons Award Manager (SAM). Please click on the Funding Opportunities icon and navigate to the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative – 2023 Cross Species Studies of ASD award call. Click the Create Application button to begin. Applications should be started and submitted under the applicant’s own account in SAM. After creating an application, navigate to the “Applications in Progress” section on your homepage to access the in-progress application.

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

Informational Session for Potential Applicants
The SFARI science team held an informational Zoom meeting on January 23, 2023. The video replay of the informational session can be found here.

Additionally, 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: Enter required fields. The contact PI may edit information via the Edit Profile button as needed.
    2. Academic Degrees: Click the Add/Modify Degree(s) button to provide this information.
    3. Application Details: Provide the required information. Hovering over the question mark icons will provide additional information on required fields. Available start dates include January 1, February 1, and March 1, 2024. We encourage PIs to select a project start date that best accommodates the needs of the project. Projects must begin on the first of the month.
    4. Proposal – The following information/upload must be provided:
      1. Simons Collections Data and/or Biospecimens: If there are SSC, Searchlight, SPARK or AIC samples or phenotypic data requested in the application, indicate accordingly.
      2. Specific Aims: Upload via template provided.
      3. Proposal Narrative: Upload via template provided.
      4. Human Participants Study Information Sheet: Upload via the template provided (only applicable if you are conducting human participant research/clinical studies).
      5. Statement of Changes: Upload via the template provided (only applicable if your application is a resubmission. Not a visible field for new submissions).
      6. Personnel Biosketches: Provide biosketches for all key personnel on the project. Upload using the template provided or using your NIH biosketch or NIH SciENcv.
    5. Resources and Research Environment: Upload via template provided.
    6. Data & Renewable Reagents: Indicate your plan for sharing data and renewable reagents (if applicable) by answering the provided questions.
    7.  
      For multi-site applications (applications with multiple PIs at different institutions being paid separately):

      • The Contact PI (main applicant PI):
        • Will complete the above questions.
        • Will generate a linked application for the multi-site PI by listing them as additional personnel. For more details, see “Instructions for Multiple PIs” in section 2.ii.1 below.
      • The Multi-site PI:
        • Will complete the additional linked application, which will include applicant details and a budget for the additional institution.
        • Multi-site PIs do not need to complete:
          • specific aims page,
          • proposal narrative,
          • abstract, or
          • data and renewable reagents questions. This is because the contact PI’s application will submit these materials for the project as a whole.
  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. Important: Please do not include the contact PI (main PI) in this section. Key personnel include any 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 Multiple PIs: The applicant PI will be the designated contact PI for the project. The contact 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 “Principal 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 contact 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 indicates “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. Subcontractor 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. Biospecimens: If the proposal includes the use of Simons Collection biospecimens (i.e., from the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) or Simons Searchlight), the Simons Foundation will review the estimated cost based on the price list on SFARI.org. Biospecimen costs will be considered separately from other project costs. Enter the projected figure under “Other Expenses.” A description of use, including the number and type of biospecimens, should be included in the proposal narrative and budget justification. Biospecimen costs must be excluded from the IDC cost calculation: if they are calculated automatically, please manually exclude them from the IDC calculation.
      5. Budget Maximum: Please ensure that your budget does not exceed the maximum of $400,000 for each year of funding over a period of two to three years. The maximum project total is $800,000 for two years or $1,200,000 for three years. The project total includes multiple budgets from multi-site applications (additional PIs do not increase the budget maximum). As with all Simons Foundation funded projects, it is at the foundation’s discretion to modify final budgets as needed.
  4. Abstract and Keywords Tab: Enter your scientific abstract for a technical audience as text in this section. Do not exceed 500 words. (For multi-site applications, this tab is visible in the contact PI’s main application only.)
  5. Publications & Other Support Tab:
    1. Publications: Follow instructions for providing a list of 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; including a complete list of your publications over the last seven (7) years using this function, rather than the PDF upload option, will expedite the review process.
    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, Including IRB and/or IACUC. If so, click the “Add/Modify Assurances” button to add the assurance type, status, approval date, expiration date, and protocol number.
  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 (one institution or multiple institutions paid directly by the main institution as subcontracts): When the application is complete, click on the “Send for sign-off” button to send to your signing official for signature. The Signing Official added to the application will see the application in the “Applications to Review” section when they log in and will be responsible for signing and submitting the application to the Simons Foundation.
  9. Send for signoff (multi-site applications paid separately): Multi-site applications for institutions paid separately have an additional step for final submission. Once all linked applications have been signed by each institution’s signing official as described above, the contact PI will receive a notification that the application package is ready for submission. The contact PI should click on “Submit Application Package” to finalize and submit the application package including all components from multiple sites.
  10. Confirmation of submission: A confirmation page will appear once the application is successfully submitted. For non-collaboration applications, the Signing Official will see the confirmation page. For multi-site applications for institutions paid separately, the contact PI will see the confirmation page that the package has been submitted. Please note that you will not be able to submit an application if the deadline has passed.
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Important Dates
  • Application Available:
  • Application Deadline:
  • Award Notification:
  • Award Start Date:
    Awards may begin as early as January 2024, but we encourage PIs to select a project start date that best accommodates the needs of their project. Funds are expected to be expended as requested during each annual budget period. Projects must begin on the first of the month.
Contact Info
  • Eligibilityplus--large
      Am I eligible to be a Principal Investigator (PI) on a SFARI award?plus--large

      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. See the Personnel FAQ section for more information on the responsibilities of a SFARI PI.

      PIs who do not have substantial experience with ASD participants should include a close collaborator with such expertise on their grant application (e.g., multi-PI application).

      Can postdoctoral associates apply as PIs? plus--large

      No, postdoctoral associates may not apply as PIs even if your institution is willing to submit an application on your behalf.

      Senior postdoctoral research associates who are interested in pursuing an independent career in autism research are encouraged to apply for SFARI’s Bridge to Independence Award RFA.

      Can foreign institutions apply for a grant?plus--large

      Yes, foreign institutions may apply. Please see Simons Foundation policies regarding international grants.

      I am a recipient of the SFARI Bridge to Independence (BTI) award. Am I eligible to apply as a PI to the Cross-Species Studies of ASD RFA? plus--large

      A SFARI policy change in effect since July 2022 now allows BTI awardees to apply as a PI to this RFA, as long as they meet all eligibility criteria outlined in the RFA.

  • Personnelplus--large
      What is the difference between a principal investigator (PI) and a co-investigator?plus--large

      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 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. They are 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. They will act as the main point of contact for the foundation.

      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 and be employed by, or 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.

      Is there a minimum percent effort for PIs or co-investigators?plus--large

      We seek applications from independent investigators who can devote a substantial portion of time to this effort. There is no minimum percent effort required for any personnel, but we expect personnel, in particular PIs and co-investigators, to have efforts that reflect their roles in the project.

      Can multiple PIs apply for a grant?plus--large

      Yes. Grants awarded through the Cross-Species RFA are intended to support multi-disciplinary teams of PIs with expertise in both human and animal research to perform coordinated cross-species studies. Multiple PIs 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.

      PIs who do not have substantial experience working with ASD participants should include a close collaborator with such expertise on their grant application (e.g., multi-PI application).

      The first PI listed, 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.

      How do I designate multiple PIs on the application?plus--large

      Multiple PIs can be added under three scenarios: when they are from different institutions that would like to be paid separately, when they are from different institutions that would like to be paid directly by the main institution, and when they are from the same institution. Instructions for each scenario are below. Please also refer to the instructional videos, “Add contacts to an application,” “Generate collaboration and multi-site applications,” and “Add a subcontract budget to an application,” on our website.

      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 “Principal 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 contact PI.

      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 indicates “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 allow them access. Instead, this allows the contact PI to fill out the subcontract budget on their behalf.

      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.”

      As the contact PI, should I be listed as key personnel in the application in SAM under the Project Personnel section?plus--large

      Important: Please do not include the contact PI (main PI) in this section. Key personnel include any 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.

      Where do I enter additional co-investigators and additional key personnel?plus--large

      You can save personnel details in the Project Personnel section on the Contacts and Personnel tab of the application.

      Can co-investigators and additional personnel be listed on multiple applications?plus--large

      Yes, co-investigators and additional personnel can be listed on multiple applications.

      Does the Simons Foundation require letters of support or collaboration?plus--large

      We do not require letters of support or letters of collaboration from co-investigators.

  • Submissionplus--large
      What is the submission schedule? plus--large

      The submission schedule is as follows:

      • April 5, 2023: RFA Opens
      • June 15, 2023, 12:00 p.m. (noon) ET: Full Application Submission Deadline
      Where do I submit the proposal?plus--large

      Applications must be submitted via the Simons Award Manager (SAM). Please click on the Funding Opportunities icon and navigate to the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative — Cross-Species Studies of ASD call. Click the Create Application button to begin. Applications should be started and submitted under the applicant’s own account in SAM. After creating an application, navigate to the “Applications in Progress” section on your homepage to access the in-progress application.

      How do I create an account in SAM?plus--large

      If you are applying to the Simons Foundation for the first time, please register in SAM before selecting “Apply now.” If you have a ProposalCentral (pC ) account, a profile was created for you in SAM using the email address associated with your pC account. Please select “Forgot Password?,” set a new password for your SAM account and then select “Apply now.”

      Can I email or mail a proposal?plus--large

      No, the Simons Foundation accepts only applications submitted online through Simons Award Manager (SAM).

      Can someone else (assistant, staff member, etc.) submit my application for me?plus--large

      Yes, adding a user to the Institution Administrative Contacts section of the application as an Institution Administrator will give them full access to edit an application and submit it for sign-off. To do so, the person who created the application would navigate to the contacts and personnel tab of the application. Under the Institution Administrative Contacts section, they would select the user and use the drop-down to indicate their role. If the user does not yet exist, click on the “create new institution official” button, and add the newly created user as an Institutional Administrator.

      Separately, to modify another user’s degrees, publications and other support, the user must add them to the Profile Access tab of their profile.

      Does the PI need to sign and submit the application?plus--large

      If one institution is included, or if multiple institutions are included but they are all paid directly by the main institution as subcontracts, only the Signing Official may sign and submit the application. When the application is complete, the PI will click on the “send for sign-off” button to send to their signing official for signature. Your signing official will see the application in the “Applications to Review” section when they log in and will be responsible for signing and submitting the application to the Simons Foundation.

      Multi-site applications for institutions paid separately have an additional step for final submission. Once all linked applications have been signed by each institution’s signing official as described above, the contact PI will receive a notification that the application is ready for submission. The contact PI should click on “Submit Application Package” to finalize and submit the application package including all components from multiple sites.

      Where is the Submit button?plus--large

      The Submit button is located at the bottom right of the screen. You will be unable to submit if you have not provided all the required information. If the submission deadline has NOT passed, use the Check Application Progress button to check for missing requirements. If the problem persists, please contact [email protected].

      If the deadline has passed, the submission period has closed, and you will not be able to submit.

      I get an error message citing a missing section when I try to submit.plus--large

      The Check Application Progress 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].

      Are deadline times adjusted for time zones?plus--large

      No, please be advised that application deadlines on the application are in Eastern Time. We recommend registering early and submitting applications with ample time for corrections prior to the deadline hour. Site traffic can slow page-load times. The “Submit” button will not work after the deadline time has passed.

      Is there a confirmation email when I submit?plus--large

      A confirmation email is sent upon submission of the application. Make sure that spam filters allow emails from [email protected]. Additionally, the application will appear in the Submitted tab of the Applications in Progress table after submission.

      Can I make changes to the application once it has been submitted?plus--large

      Before you can make changes to your submitted application, you must first contact the Simons Foundation. Please email [email protected].  Applications can only be changed prior to the deadline.

      The funding notification date has passed, and I haven’t received a notification. What is the status of my proposal?plus--large

      You should receive notification within 24 hours of the deadline. Please check your spam filter settings if you have not received notification by then.

  • Proposalplus--large
      What should be included in the Specific Aims page?plus--large

      The Specific Aims page should be a summary of the proposed project focused on the research aims of the project, including a concise rationale for the hypothesis, description of preliminary data and experimental approach, and impact on autism research.

      What is the page limit for the Specific Aims page?plus--large

      The Specific Aims page should not exceed one (1) page of single-spaced, size 11 text, 0.5 margins.

      What is the page limit for the Proposal Narrative?plus--large

      Proposal Narratives should not exceed five (5) pages single-spaced, size 11 text, 0.5 margins. Figures, figure legends and references should follow the narrative text and will NOT count towards the page limit.

      How should the Proposal Narrative be organized?plus--large

      The Proposal Narrative should be considered an expanded version of the Specific Aims page and used to provide more detail on the following:

      • Relevant scientific background
      • Preliminary results when applicable
      • Specific aims
      • Experimental design, including data analysis plan
      • Pitfalls and alternative strategies
      • Project significance and relevance to autism
      • Timeline and milestones

      As mentioned in the template available in SAM, applicants to this RFA should discuss the relationship between the behaviors you are studying in humans and animals. There should be persuasive evidence that they are truly analogous, including evidence of evolutionary conservation of the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Please also include information on how researchers carrying out studies in animals and humans will work in parallel on your project.

      SFARI considers the following information crucial for the evaluation of a project and encourages including the following details (where relevant):

      • Patient cohorts used (including source of participants, sample size and availability of genetic data). Applicants are strongly encouraged, but not required, to use SPARK or Simons Searchlight Research Match as part of their participation recruitment strategy.
      • Datasets or biospecimen collections to be used (including SFARI resources) and their availability
      • A statement on statistical power and analytical plan
      Are references, figures and figure legends included in the Proposal Narrative page limit? How should they be included?plus--large

      References, figures and figure legends are not included in the page limits for the Proposal Narrative, although we have a limit of five (5) figures (each fitting on a single page). Please attach them at the end of the 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. References should be in Journal of Neuroscience format, including full author list, title and a link. The Foundation does not require a minimum.

      What can I include as an appendix?plus--large

      In-press papers can be included as appendices, as well as any papers that you consider essential for the work of the review committee but include no more than three (3) papers. Any other material should be included, if possible, in the narrative.

      I plan to recruit human participants for my proposed study. Do I need to provide more information beyond what is included in my Proposal Narrative?plus--large

      Yes. All applications proposing to recruit human participants must complete the Human Participants Study Information Sheet available in SAM.

  • Budgetplus--large
      I plan to use SPARK or Simons Searchlight Research Match as part of my participant recruitment strategy. Do the services provided in this program include cost savings to my study team? plus--large

      Most likely. Research Match includes services for identifying and contacting participants on behalf of your study. As such, some study team costs which are typically budgeted to a PI’s grant may be reduced with the use of Research Match. Simons Foundation will work, as needed, with applicants selected for funding through this RFA to arrive at mutually agreeable budget terms.

      What do I do if there is a subcontract on the application? plus--large

      Applications with a subcontract (including additional PIs from institutions that will be paid directly by the contact PI’s institution) should review the instructional video, “Add a subcontract budget to an application,” on our website.

      What is the budget maximum? Are indirect costs included in the budget limits?plus--large

      Applicants may request a maximum of $400,000 annually, inclusive of 20 percent indirect costs, over a period of two to three years. The total budget maximum includes indirect costs. There is an exception: allowable indirect costs to the primary institution for subcontracts are not included in total budget thresholds.

      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. As with all SFARI-funded projects, it is at Simons Foundation’s discretion to modify final budgets as needed.

      Please note that indirect costs cannot be taken on tuition, equipment with a unit cost of more than $10,000, or Simons Collection biospecimens.

      Is the budget maximum the same for projects with multiple PIs?plus--large

      The budget maximum is a total for the entire project, not per PI. Additional PIs do not increase the budget maximum.

      Do budget limits include the cost of purchasing Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) and Simons Searchlight biospecimens?plus--large

      No, SSC, Simons Searchlight and Autism Inpatient Collection (AIC) biospecimen costs are not included in the budget limit. Prices can be found on the price list on our website.

  • Accessing Simons Collection Resources (i.e., SSC, Simons Searchlight, SPARK and AIC)plus--large
      How can I find out more about available data and biospecimens (where applicable) from the SSC, Simons Searchlight, SPARK, AIC and Autism BrainNet?plus--large

      Simons SearchlightSPARKAIC and Autism BrainNet on SFARI Base. If you do not have SFARI Base account, you must create one. If you have problems with the log in or have questions regarding the collections, please email [email protected].

      How can I apply to recruit SPARK or Simons Searchlight participants for my research studies?plus--large

      Researchers may submit an application on SFARI Base. The SPARK and Simons Searchlight Participant Access Committee considers applications on a quarterly basis, but applications may be submitted at any time. Please refer to the SPARK recruitment process document for more details and email [email protected] with any questions.

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