Autism & Neuroscience: Fellows-to-Faculty

As part of the Simons Foundation’s Autism & Neuroscience division, the Fellows-to-Faculty program aims to nurture new talent and broaden the community of scientists contributing to the missions of the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI), Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain (SCPAB), and Simons Collaboration on Ecological Neuroscience (SCENE).

The program is intended for scientists that:

• Have obtained degrees at the Ph.D. and/or M.D. level
• Are currently employed in mentored research training positions
• Will seek tenure-track research faculty positions in the next academic job cycle

Successful applicants will receive a commitment for a three-year, $600,000 faculty research grant and support during their postdoctoral fellowship while they search for a faculty position. Fellows join a lively, interdisciplinary scientific community and participate in career development activities.

Community is an integral part of the Fellows-to-Faculty award. As part of the program, fellows gain invaluable opportunities to engage in scientific discussion and further their careers, including by:

• Attending meetings with investigators
• Participating in Fellows-to-Faculty retreats
• Working with an assigned career mentor

Throughout the program, Simons Foundation provides fellows with the support they need to navigate the faculty job search, negotiate a start-up package, and launch their careers as independent investigators.

Each fellow is provided up to five years of financial support, split into a faculty research award over three years and an optional postdoctoral award for a maximum of two years.

For either phase, the fellow may be affiliated with institutions located within or outside the United States.

Faculty Research Award

All figures are in U.S. dollars.

The central focus of this award program is the Faculty Research Award, which is intended to support the fellow’s scientific research vision as they launch their independent lab.

Recipients of the Faculty Research Award will receive $200,000 (inclusive of 20 percent indirect costs) per year for three years. The funding is intended to supplement a full, institution-provided start-up package. Funds may be used for reasonable costs related to the fellow’s scientific research, including salary support for laboratory personnel and specialized equipment, such as microscopes.

Postdoctoral Award

The Postdoctoral Award is intended to support fellows as they search and apply for faculty positions. Fellows are not required to accept the Postdoctoral Award.

If accepted, the Postdoctoral Award must be activated on September 1 of the year the fellow is notified of the award. The end date of the award is the date the fellow departs from their postdoctoral position or two calendar years after the start date, whichever occurs first. Recipients of the Postdoctoral Award will receive the following on an annual basis:

• $85,000 stipend
• $10,000 career development allowance
• $15,000 health insurance & other benefits allowance

Funds may be supplemented from other sources of funding.