New Ideas Award
The SFARI New Ideas Award funds innovative basic science research exploring novel directions in autism and neurodevelopmental disorders, welcoming bold, high-impact projects from any discipline or methodology.
Funder: Simons Foundation
Due Dates: April 29, 2026 (LOI opens; rolling thereafter)
Funding Amounts: Up to $300,000/year for 2 years (max $600,000 total, incl. 20% indirects)
Summary: Supports bold, exploratory basic science research that advances understanding of autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders.
Key Information: Projects must represent new directions, not extensions of ongoing work; preliminary data are not required.
Description
The Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) New Ideas Award provides early-stage support for innovative, high-risk/high-reward research that could transform the basic science of autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). The program encourages bold, imaginative projects that test novel hypotheses, introduce new conceptual or experimental directions, and challenge established assumptions in the field. The scope is intentionally broad—welcoming proposals from any scientific discipline, methodology, or experimental system and at any scale or level of analysis. Both established autism researchers and investigators new to the field are encouraged to apply, with a particular emphasis on those who have not previously been funded by SFARI.
Projects should make a compelling case for their relevance and potential impact on autism science. While preliminary data are not required, applications must demonstrate feasibility. The use of SFARI data, tools, and resources (such as well-characterized participant cohorts and the Research Match program) is strongly encouraged.
