SPARK Research Match Expansion
SPARK Research Match Expansion supports autism investigators with participant incentives for remote studies involving genetically undersampled groups to improve representation in research.
Funder: Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative
Due Dates: December 31, 2026 (Q4) | March 31, 2027 (Q1) | June 30, 2027 (Q2) | September 30, 2027 (Q3)
Funding Amounts: $10,000 per study in participant incentive funding
Summary: Supports remote autism studies recruiting genetically undersampled groups through SPARK Research Match to improve representation in research.
Key Information: Funding may only support incentives for participants in undersampled groups and is delivered through the project workflow, not institutions.
Description
SPARK Research Match Expansion is run by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI). It supports principal investigators conducting autism studies that increase research opportunities for people whose genetic ancestries have been undersampled in clinical research. The goal is to make research participation better reflect U.S. demographics and address underrepresentation that limits who benefits from new clinical knowledge. Studies may address any autism-related topic, provided they prioritize undersampled groups and clearly justify the topic’s importance to those groups.
The program provides participant incentives for online surveys and remote projects, including phone interviews, focus groups and telehealth. SPARK Research Match connects investigators with eligible SPARK participants and helps finalize materials, build online research components and collect data. Investigators share study data back with SPARK and help develop accessible summaries of completed, published research for participants and the wider SPARK community.
