SFARI Mission:
SFARI’s mission is to advance the basic science of autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders.
Opportunity:
SFARI is accepting applications for funding of Patient Advocacy Group Family Conferences, with a focus on groups in the Simons Searchlight community. This funding is intended to support and enhance the research component of conferences, from scientist presentations to in-person research opportunities for families. It is open to both patient advocacy groups (PAGs) with well-established conferences as well as those in early years of convening families and connecting to science. As they plan their conferences, we encourage PAGs to connect with the SFARI science team who may be able to facilitate connections to scientists with whom to explore possible conference involvement.
Eligibility:
Applicants should be patient advocacy groups (PAGs) for Simons Searchlight Gene/CNV groups who use Simons Searchlight as their major registry. Preference is given to those communities actively supporting Simons Searchlight recruitment and ongoing engagement within their communities. Conferences must be scheduled to occur between January 2026 and February 2027. Depending on the date of your conference, payments may be issued retroactively. We welcome applications for conferences held and/or organized by groups both in and outside the United States. Groups in the United States must have 501(c)(3) nonprofit status; international organizations will be required to be deemed the equivalent of a U.S. public charity via requested documentation or the completion of an equivalency determination.
SF and SFI do not provide funding to institutions in China or to fiscal sponsors or agents of institutions in China. This includes funding to support subcontracts at institutions in China or consultants residing or working for institutions in China.
Simons Foundation employees who receive a W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement) from the Simons Foundation, including employees of the Flatiron Institute, may not apply as a principal investigator (PI) to any Simons Foundation or Simons Foundation International Requests for Applications (RFAs) released by the Simons Foundation. PIs and any project personnel listed on the application who will receive funding for salary, travel, support for students, postdocs or research staff, lab equipment, computing time or other individual expenses may not be employees of the Simons Foundation, which includes the Flatiron Institute.
Level and Duration of Funding:
Funding will be provided in the form of a one-year gift. Only one gift can be issued per group per funding cycle (12 months) and should be used within that cycle. Failure to do so will make a group ineligible to apply for further PAG funding.
Funding is offered in three tiers as outlined below. Please note that we do not typically fund any conference in its entirety, and all applicants are strongly encouraged to seek multiple sources of funding support.
SFARI will request a descriptive post-meeting report that reflects the impact of this gift.
Funding levels per year, quoted in U.S. Dollars (USD), are:
Tier 1: $2,500
Tier 1 funding is intended for groups that are just getting started and plan to use the meeting to mobilize their community. Applicant groups are not required to have a full scientific meeting agenda in place at the time of application but are encouraged to plan for a scientific component to their in-person meeting.
This is also the funding tier for groups with significant research agendas but for which researchers will present remotely to the in-person conference.
Tier 2: up to $7,500
Tier 2 funding is intended for groups that plan for a significant scientific component to their meeting. This means the meeting will feature multiple scientists presenting relevant work, in person. Relationships with some, if not all, invited scientists should be established at the time of application. All invited scientists are required to supply letters of support confirming their intent to attend the meeting and a brief description of how their research is relevant to the gene in question. The higher funding level is intended to facilitate travel costs/honorariums to attract in-person research presentations.
Tier 3: up to $15,000
Tier 3 funding is intended for groups planning a meeting with the most significant scientific component, featuring both in-person presentations by researchers as well as in-person participatory research for families. Relationships with all researchers invited to attend the meeting should be established at the time of application and letters of support confirming the scientists’ interest and ability to attend the meeting should be submitted with the application. Applications should include both the agenda for scientific presentations and the specific plans for in-person research. The Proposal Narrative should describe in person research, with details supplemented by the researcher in their support letters (see the Proposal Narrative template for details). Searchlight blood draws are not counted toward the in-person research criterion, because costs are supported separately for this activity.
Please note that in the event of budgetary or other considerations, The Simons Foundation, Inc. (“the Foundation” or “SF”) reserves the right to refer an application to The Simons Foundation International, Ltd. (“SFI”) for consideration and funding. SFI and SF have entered into an agreement pursuant to which SF provides program operations and grant administration services, including payment processing, to SFI.
Instructions for Submission:
Prospective applicants must submit an application by Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern Time. Applications must be submitted in Simons Award Manager (SAM). Please click on the ‘Funding Opportunities’ icon and navigate to the Autism Research — Searchlight Gift call. Click the ‘Create Application’ button to begin. Applications should be started and submitted under the applicant’s own account in SAM. Please refer to the How to Apply instructions and FAQ for further details. Informational videos on submitting applications in SAM can also be found here.
Application templates will be available in SAM beginning on Thursday, November 6, 2025.
The following information/documents constitute the proposal:
- Applicant details, contacts and personnel fields.
- Proposal Narrative: The narrative should include the following information:
- The conference date (confirmed or anticipated)
- The conference location (city/state and venue name, if available)
- PAG/conference website(s), if available
- The conference organizing committee
- One paragraph describing the objective and structure of the conference as well as its previous and planned frequency. If applicable, please provide information on why the location of this conference will facilitate attendance by families and/or researchers.
- Please also include information on engagement of your group with the Simons Searchlight community (e.g., registry participation, biospecimen contributions, your efforts to engage the community in Simons Searchlight participation, if you are planning on offering blood draws arranged by Simons Searchlight). Information about engagement with Autism Brain Net (ABN), which is also supported by the Simons Foundation, is welcome.
- Anticipated number of families attending conference (can be a range)
- Anticipated number of affected individuals attending conference (can be a range)
- Number of meetings PAG has hosted previously, if applicable
- Attendance numbers from previous meetings, if applicable
- Number of meetings organized by your group that Simons Searchlight has attended previously, if applicable, and in what capacity (i.e., attendance? Attend and speak? Speak and blood draw?)
- In person research description (for Tier 3 proposals). Please provide the names of the researcher(s) performing the research and briefly state the objectives, approach, power calculation and anticipated research study enrollment at the conference.
- Draft agenda for the upcoming meeting that is the subject of this application. The agenda should specify:
- Location and dates (note confirmed or anticipated)
- All talks (names of scientists) and activities (in person research and/or blood draws) planned (note confirmed or anticipated)
- Link to conference website, if available
- Conference agendas for the past: 1-2 meetings, if applicable
- Researcher letters of participation: Each proposed scientist should provide a separate letter confirming their commitment to participate in the conference. The letters should be on the investigator’s official institutional letterhead. For researchers giving a presentation, they should describe in a few sentences what they plan to speak about and how it is relevant for your gene group. For those proposing in-person research, they should describe the objectives, approach, anticipated new enrollment at the conference, power calculation, and future plans for the work. Proposed scientific content or in-person research without a corresponding letter of participation will not be considered in application review.
- Biosketches for researchers: for applicants applying for Tier 3 funding only.
- Budget: Applicants will be asked to provide 1) a budget for the funds requested from us and 2) an overall budget for the conference, including other sources of funding, both pending and confirmed. Please clearly specify the requested funding level for which you are applying and provide a budget justification.
Finalists selected for an award will be notified in April 2026.
Our Commitment to Expanding Pathways to Science & Opportunities for All:
Many of the greatest ideas and discoveries come from a diverse mix of minds, backgrounds and experiences. The Simons Foundation is committed to advancing basic science and mathematics to benefit humankind and expand our collective understanding of our world. As part of our mission, we support partners, programs and initiatives that seek to broaden the scientific community and open pathways to science and mathematics careers.
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.