Applications are online and must be submitted online through proposalCENTRAL. New users first need to create a user account on proposalCENTRAL (https://proposalcentral.altum.com/). For all users, log in and select “Create New Proposal” or click on the “Grant Opportunities” tab. Filter the Grant Maker by “Simons Foundation” and click on “Apply Now” next to the “Functional Screen of Autism-Associated Variants Request for Applications” program. Once all sections are complete and the attachments are uploaded, the “Submit” button will be activated.

Go to https://proposalcentral.altum.com/ and click “REGISTER” under “First Time Users.” Fill in the required fields, check the boxes to agree to proposalCENTRAL’s “Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy” and then click “Save.”

No, the Notice of Intent is not required for application submission but we request that investigators who intend to submit a proposal send an email by 27 March 2015 with the intended investigators’ names and affiliations and their intended proposal’s title to [email protected] with the subject line: SFARI RFA Notice of Intent.

The Notice of Intent is not the same as a formal Letter of Intent (LOI). Approval is not required for application submission.

Yes, you can add users with administrator access to the proposalCENTRAL application so that someone other than the Principal Investigator (PI) can edit and submit the application. To add another user, go to Section 3, “Enable Other Users to Access this Proposal,” and complete the required fields.

No, postdoctoral associates may not apply as PIs. 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.

Yes, if the proposal includes multiple PIs at more than one site, all investigators should have demonstrated prior success in similar collaborations.

For projects that have multiple PIs at different institutions, applications must be submitted by the PI designated as the contact PI and his/her institution. 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, and must submit a biosketch and a list of current and pending support.

Applications with multiple PIs from different institutions who will be paid directly by the contact PI’s institution are considered subcontracts.

We do not require letters of support or letters of collaboration for Co-investigators. If a letter is prepared, it can be uploaded as “Appendix: In-press papers on related topics.”

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.

Applications with subcontracts must submit a Subcontract Budget for each subcontract awardee and grant year. The applicant PI must include the direct cost budget totals for all subcontracts in the “Consortium & Contractual Direct” section and indirect costs for all subcontracts in the “Subcontract Indirect Cost” section. Please upload the subcontract budget (available for download in the “Proposal Attachments” section) in the “Proposal Attachments” section of the full application on proposalCENTRAL.

The initial funding period is for a one-year pilot up to $250,000 including 20 percent of the modified total direct costs (see SFARI policies), beginning August 1, 2015. A subset of selected pilots will be awarded an additional two years of funding. All applications should include a plan for the full three years of funding.

Yes. Please upload, if available, a copy of your U.S. IRS 501(c)(3) determination or equivalency letter as part of the application. The Simons Foundation requires a determination letter from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) stating exemption under 501(c)(3) and furthermore, either a 509(a)(1), (2) or (3) classification. If an international institution is selected for funding and does not have the aforementioned documentation, the Simons Foundation will require the institution to complete an equivalency determination with NGOsoucre (see SFARI policies).

Applications may be submitted by for-profit companies, in which case the funds provided for the grant are to be used only for charitable purposes toward research related to autism spectrum disorders.

References, figures and figure legends are not included in the page limit for the full proposal. Please attach them at the end of the six (6)-page 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.

‘In-press’ papers can be included as appendices, as well as any papers that you consider essential for the work of the review committee (not more than three [3]). Any other material should be included, if possible, in the narrative.

If you have video attachments for your proposal, please upload as an appendix (all file types are accepted). All appendices should be uploaded in the “Proposal Attachments” section of the application.

11-point, legible font.

You can access and request information about Simons VIP and SSC biospecimens and data on SFARI Base. Please see our resources website (/resource/sfari-base/request-data-and-biospecimens) for more information. If you do not have a SFARI ID, you must create one. If you have problems with the log-in or have questions regarding the collections, please email [email protected].

No, SSC biospecimen estimated costs are not included in the budget limit. Prices for SSC biospecimens can be found in the price list on our website.

No, only the signing official is required to sign the signature page.

Applicants will be selected based on qualifications and experience with the topic(s) relevant to the program. Competitive applications will receive external peer review. Notification of application status is expected by 1 July 2015.

No. “Validating” the proposal checks for errors and omissions and will alert you to missing requirements of your letter of intent or application. If the application is complete, you must then click “Submit.” You will receive an email within 10 minutes, and should contact [email protected] if you do not receive confirmation and do not see your application in the “Submitted” tab or with the status changed to “Submitted.”

The “Validate” 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].

The “Submit” button is located in the last section of the application. You will be unable to submit if you have not provided all the required information. If the problem persists, please contact [email protected].

You must contact Simons Foundation to un-submit your full application before you can edit attachments or HTML sections. Please email [email protected] or call 646-654-0066 if you would like to un-submit your application prior to the 10 April 2015 deadline.

A confirmation email is sent upon submission of the application. Please contact [email protected] if you submitted your application and have not received a confirmation email within 10 minutes. Make sure that spam filters allow emails from [email protected].