The FY26 DoW Autism Idea Development Award funds innovative, high-risk research projects aimed at major breakthroughs to improve outcomes for Autistic individuals, with an option for collaborative partnerships.
Funder: Dept. of the Army -- USAMRAA
Due Dates: July 27, 2026: Pre-Application (Preproposal) | August 28, 2026: Invitation to submit full application (notification) | October 22, 2026: Full Application | October 27, 2026: End of Application Verification Period
Funding Amounts: ~$2.25M total; up to $750,000 per award (direct + indirect costs), max 3 years; ~3 awards expected
Summary: Supports innovative, high-risk/high-reward autism research with potential for significant impact on outcomes for Autistic individuals.
This opportunity supports the development of transformative, high-risk/high-reward research projects that could lead to important discoveries or major advances in improving outcomes for Autistic individuals. The program seeks innovative ideas that can yield impactful data and open new avenues for autism research. Applicants are encouraged to address one or more of the program's Areas of Interest or justify how their work addresses a critical problem or need in autism. A Partnering Principal Investigator (PI) Option allows for collaborative projects, with two PIs working synergistically on a single project to achieve outcomes beyond what individual efforts could accomplish.