www.sfari.org Open in urlscan Pro
2606:4700::6812:1c11 Public Scan

Back to summary

URL:
https://www.sfari.org/grant/maternal-covid-19-as-a-potential-risk-for-autism-supplemental-funding-for-ongoing-pregnanc...
Submission: On April 10 via api (April 10th 2023, 4:24:32 am UTC) from CO — Scanned from DE

Form analysis
3 forms found in the DOM

GET https://www.sfari.org/

<form role="search" method="get" action="https://www.sfari.org/" class="" data-behavior="autocomplete">
  <input type="search" placeholder="Search SFARI.org" value="" name="s" id="s" autocomplete="off">
  <button type="submit" aria-label="Search">
    <svg class="icon icon--search ">
      <use xlink:href="#icon--search"></use>
    </svg> </button>
</form>

GET https://www.sfari.org/newsletter

<form action="https://www.sfari.org/newsletter" method="get" class="a-newsletter-form">
  <button>
    <span class="hide@medium-">Continue</span>
    <svg class="icon icon--arrow hide@large+">
      <use xlink:href="#icon--arrow"></use>
    </svg>
  </button>
  <input type="hidden" name="org_name" value="sfari">
  <input type="email" name="email" placeholder="Your Email Address">
  <!-- <input type="submit" value="Submit" class="g-newsletter__btn" /> -->
</form>

GET https://www.sfari.org/

<form role="search" method="get" action="https://www.sfari.org/">
  <input type="search" placeholder="Search" value="" name="s" autocomplete="off">
  <button type="submit" aria-label="Search">
    <svg class="icon icon--search ">
      <use xlink:href="#icon--search"></use>
    </svg> </button>
</form>

Text Content

linkedin reddit search_black sharethis

SFARI chevron-down--small

Program Areas
* Mathematics and Physical Sciences
* Life Sciences
* Autism Research Initiative
* Simons Collaborations
* Flatiron Institute
* Outreach, Education and Engagement
* Multidisciplinary Programs

Funding
* Funding Opportunities
* Independence Awards
* Policies and Procedures
* Award Instructions

News
* Announcements
* Articles
* Videos
* What We’re Reading

Events
* Simons Foundation Presidential Lectures
* Simons Foundation Presents

About
* About Us
* Media Relations
* Leadership
* Annual Report
* Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
* Careers
* Summer at Simons
* Contact Us
* COVID-19

SFARI chevron-down--small

SFARI

* Funding
* Funding Opportunities
* SFARI Scientific Perspectives
* How to Apply
* Grant Policies and Procedures
* Acknowledgment Policy
* Sign Up for RFA Announcements

* Resources
* Autism Cohorts
* Autism Inpatient Collection
* Simons Searchlight
* Simons Simplex Collection
* SPARK

* Models
* iPS cell models
* Mouse models
* Rat models
* Zebrafish models

* Other Resources
* Autism BrainNet
* Data analysis tools
* Research Match
* SFARI Base
* SFARI Gene
* Therapeutics

* Research
* SFARI Investigators
* Funded Projects
* Funded Centers
* Funded Publications
* Research Highlights

* News
* SFARI News
* SFARI Blog
* SFARI Conversations
* Workshop and Meeting Reports
* Newsletter Archive

* Events
* All Events
* Lectures
* Webinars
* SFARI Socials
* Event Videos

* About
* About Us
* Director’s Letter
* Contact Us
* Career Opportunities
* Our Team

* Advisors
* SFARI Scientific Advisory Board
* SFARI Scientific Review Board
* SPARK Scientific Advisory Board

* Home
* Funding

MATERNAL COVID-19 AS A POTENTIAL RISK FOR AUTISM: SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING FOR
ONGOING PREGNANCY COHORTS – REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

Grants awarded through this RFA will supplement funding from other agencies for
ongoing pregnancy cohorts to broaden biospecimen collection and to extend
post-natal family tracking. These cohorts and biospecimen collections can be
leveraged in future research to understand the effects of gestational infection
and inflammation on autism risk in children.

The maximum budget is $250,000 for projects recruiting at a single site, and
$400,000 for projects recruiting at two or more sites.

Policies and
Procedures
Maximum Budget

Recruiting at a single site Maximum of $250,000 over 3 years
Recruiting at two or more sites Maximum of $400,000 over 3 years

Important Dates
* Application Deadline
March 12, 2021
* Award Notification
April 30, 2021
* Award Start Dates
June 1, 2021
July 1, 2021
August 1, 2021

* * Share This
*
*
*
*
*
*

*
*

* RFA
* How To Apply
* FAQ
* Past Awards

Maximum Budget

Recruiting at a single site Maximum of $250,000 over 3 years
Recruiting at two or more sites Maximum of $400,000 over 3 years

Important Dates
* Application Deadline
March 12, 2021
* Award Notification
April 30, 2021
* Award Start Dates
June 1, 2021
July 1, 2021
August 1, 2021

Contact Info
* Administrative inquiries:
sfgrants@simonsfoundation.org
646-654-0066
* Scientific inquiries and requests:
sciencerfa@simonsfoundation.org
646-654-0066
* proposalCENTRAL:
pcsupport@altum.com
800-875-2562

Read More
* SFARI Mission
* Background
* Request for applications
* Data Sharing
* Level and duration of funding
* Contacts
* Reference

Maximum Budget

Recruiting at a single site Maximum of $250,000 over 3 years
Recruiting at two or more sites Maximum of $400,000 over 3 years

Important Dates
* Application Deadline
March 12, 2021
* Award Notification
April 30, 2021
* Award Start Dates
June 1, 2021
July 1, 2021
August 1, 2021

SFARI MISSION

The mission of the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) is to
improve the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders
(ASD) by funding innovative research of the highest quality and relevance.

BACKGROUND

Several prospective pregnancy cohorts, across multiple continents, are being
recruited during the COVID-19 pandemic. These cohorts afford the opportunity to
better understand the impact of maternal infection and inflammation on risk for
neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism. Prior animal studies suggest that
the risk of adverse outcomes is related to specific T-cell subpopulations, which
may be sensitized by the intestinal microbiome1. Therefore, SFARI believes that
biospecimen collection in the pandemic pregnancy cohorts should include maternal
blood for both peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and cytokine assays,
as well as cord blood collection at birth. Consideration should also be given to
collection of maternal stool specimens. Ideally, biospecimens should be
collected at multiple timepoints, given the changes that can occur in cytokine
and PBMC profiles through the course of pregnancy in response to infection and
the presumed importance of fetal age in moderating the impact of maternal risk
factors. Furthermore, it is critical that the collection of biospecimens be
complemented by the tracking of families after delivery so that child
neurodevelopmental outcomes can be determined at age 2–3 years.

SFARI is offering this request for applications (RFA) because many of the
cohorts that SFARI has queried collect maternal blood at only one or two
timepoints, and almost none of the cohorts collect stool specimens. A majority
of the cohorts lack child follow-up beyond a few months of age, though some are
able to ascertain child outcomes through the use of medical registry data.

We encourage applicants to familiarize themselves with the summary of a recent
SFARI workshop on COVID-19, pregnancy and autism, which can be found here.

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

SFARI invites your proposal for funding to extend biospecimen collection and
post-natal family tracking in your prospective pregnancy cohort study. A total
award period of three years is planned. We anticipate that the budget for Year 1
would primarily support biospecimen collection, but also processing and storage,
if needed. The budgets for Years 2 and 3 would primarily support family tracking
to ensure that they can be contacted for child clinical assessment at 2–3 years
of age. Funding for Years 2 and 3 will be dependent on successful recruitment of
participants and collection of biospecimens in Year 1.

For investigators who do not have sufficient biorepository capacity, SFARI is
likely to offer centralized biospecimen processing and storage at a
SFARI-approved repository in the United States. For biospecimens stored at a
SFARI repository, SFARI will manage distribution of samples to qualified
investigators. Investigators who require SFARI-managed storage are asked to
specify whether storage in the United States is permitted by their study’s
consent and by their national or other relevant regulations. Should storage of
biospecimens at a SFARI facility not be allowed, applying investigators should
provide detailed alternative plans.

Funding for analysis of biospecimens will not be provided through this RFA.
Rather, this RFA will support the collection of biospecimens that can be
leveraged in future applications (to any interested funder) after the number and
availability of biospecimens is established and a preliminary determination has
been made of COVID-19 infection rates in each cohort. Principal Investigators
who can demonstrate the existence of funding for sample analysis, and who have
an approved plan of analysis, are required to submit detailed plans in the
application. Plans should include biospecimen processing and storage protocols
and detailed biospecimen analysis and related protocols.

Funding for clinical assessments of the children born of these pregnancies (at
age 2–3 years) also will not be provided through this RFA. Rather, this RFA will
support participant retention so that the cohorts can be contacted for future
research (which may be supported by any interested funder).

SFARI encourages collaborative applications, as well as those that leverage
resources for biospecimen characterization and/or additional clinical
characterization of the cohort participants.

Applications should include the following elements:

Cohort: Please describe the current and expected total cohort size, current and
expected racial/ethnic composition of the cohort, strategy for determining
COVID-19 exposure status and number of mothers in the cohort who are known or
expected to be exposed to COVID-19 during pregnancy. Please provide the
rationale for your projections, such as the number of deliveries managed by your
site annually, and COVID-19 infection rates in the geographic region. Describe
whether there are current or future plans to genetically characterize the
collection.

Existing cohort funding: The duration and amount of existing support for your
cohort efforts will be critical elements in the evaluation of applications. In
the “Current and Pending Support” section of your application, describe the
source, amount and duration of your support. Include grant title, principal
investigator and specific aims.

Biospecimens: Describe biospecimen types and collection schedule under the
support you currently hold. Provide data on your current success rate for
biospecimen collection. Include a description of how additional support would
bolster the biospecimen types and/or collection schedule. A table or figure may
be effective for this purpose. Specify any changes to biospecimen processing and
storage if additional support is received.

For blood samples, please include a description of the tubes used for collection
and amount of blood collected, e.g.: pediatric versus adult tubes; EDTA tubes
(usually purple top, best suited for collection of WB DNA and plasma) versus ACD
(acid citrate dextrose, usually with yellow tops and best suited for collection
of cells). Include protocols for collection of blood to allow for genetic
studies. Include protocols to collect stools, if you are including them in your
proposed research. Also include protocols if you plan to collect any other
biospecimens (examples might include placental tissue, urine or cerebrospinal
fluid). Provide a description of the downstream assays you intend to perform on
the collected samples and confirm that the stabilization buffer in the blood
tube used (containing heparin or EDTA) will not inhibit or confound downstream
assays.

In order to perform adequate and comprehensive immunological analyses, we
encourage the collection of blood to obtain frozen peripheral blood mononuclear
cells (PBMCs). PBMCs can be used to assess the function of several immune cells
and to test in vitro recall or stimulation response. Blood collection to extract
WB DNA and to isolate plasma is also encouraged. SFARI will provide protocols on
how to ship samples for processing and storage to the SFARI repository. If
samples will be processed and stored at different facilities, describe the
processing. Please also comment if you will be able to collect samples during
active COVID-19 infection and, in this case, how you will provide information on
whether the samples were collected during active infection or after recovery.

Family/child tracking for outcome assessments: Describe any existing plans for
family tracking and child outcome assessments. Describe if and how family/child
tracking would be augmented if additional support is received. (Cohorts that
leverage national health register data may not require family tracking.)

DATA SHARING

Biospecimens: Clearly describe whether you will be willing and allowed by
national or other pertinent regulations to send the collected samples to a SFARI
repository in the United States. If opting for SFARI-managed storage, you may
also retain aliquots locally, as long as tubes are sent to the SFARI repository.
If you choose to store the samples exclusively at your institutions or are not
allowed to send them to a SFARI repository, please describe what your data
sharing plan is for such samples. How will other investigators, including
SFARI-investigators, be able to access such samples? How and when will access be
granted?

Data: Clearly describe your plans for data sharing (including the format and
frequency of release of the data that you will collect with the support from
this award).

LEVEL AND DURATION OF FUNDING

Awards made for projects that recruit at a single site will have a maximum
budget of $250,000 (total) over 3 years of funding, including 20 percent
indirect costs. Projects that recruit at two or more sites may request a maximum
budget up to $400,000 (total), including indirect costs. We anticipate that
funding in Year 1 will primarily support biospecimen collection and processing.
Funding in Years 2 and 3 is expected to be directed primarily to family
tracking. Thus, annual funding amounts may vary from year to year.

Please email ScienceRFA@simonsfoundation.org for questions related to funding
allocations.

CONTACTS

Administrative inquiries:
sfgrants@simonsfoundation.org
646-654-0066

Scientific inquiries and requests:
sciencerfa@simonsfoundation.org
646-654-0066

proposalCENTRAL:
pcsupport@altum.com
800-875-2562

REFERENCE

1. Kim S. et al. Nature 549, 528-532 (2017) PubMed

Read More
Maximum Budget

Recruiting at a single site Maximum of $250,000 over 3 years
Recruiting at two or more sites Maximum of $400,000 over 3 years

Important Dates
* Application Deadline
March 12, 2021
* Award Notification
April 30, 2021
* Award Start Dates
June 1, 2021
July 1, 2021
August 1, 2021

The deadline for application submission is Friday, March 12, 2021, 5:00 PM
Eastern Time.

proposalCENTRAL Login Information

Applications must be submitted via proposalCENTRAL (pC). To start an application
in pC, users must first log in to their pC account.

If You Need to Create a New Account in pC

To create a new account, go to proposalCENTRAL and click “Create an account now”
under “Need an account?” Fill in the required fields, check the boxes to agree
to pC’s terms of service and acceptable use policy, and click “Save.”

If You Have an Existing Account in pC

For all users with a pC account, log in under “Application Login” at
proposalCENTRAL and select “Create New Proposal” or click on the “Grant
Opportunities” tab. Scroll down to “Simons Foundation” and click “Apply Now” for
the “Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative – Targeted – COVID” program to
start the proposal and access the templates. After all sections are completed,
you will be able to click on the “Submit” button to send.

To submit an application, you must complete the following proposalCENTRAL
sections:

1. Title Page: Enter the proposal title in this section.
2. Download Templates and Instructions: All templates necessary to complete
your proposal are available for download in this module (or the “Proposal
Attachments” module, where attachments are submitted as PDF-only files; see
the corresponding “Proposal Attachments” section below for more details).
3. Enable Other Users to Access This Proposal: This section allows you to give
other users access to your grant application. You have the option of giving
them one of three levels of permission: View, Edit or Administrator.
4. Applicant/PI: The principal investigator (PI) should be listed here. For
grants with multiple PIs, the contact PI should be listed here.
5. Organization/Institution: Contact information for the signing official and
the financial/fiscal officer from your institution is required; select the
correct person or enter new names in this section.
6. Key Personnel: Indicate key personnel, including but not limited to: PIs,
co-investigators, consultants and postdoctoral research associates. In rare
circumstances, the applicant organization may designate multiple PIs who
share the authority and responsibility for leading the project,
intellectually and logistically. For more information on the
responsibilities of PIs, please refer to the Simons Foundation grant
policies and procedures.
7. Abstract: Enter your abstract as text in this section.
8. Budget Period Detail: Enter your budget period detail in this section.
1. Award start date: Funding will begin on June 1, July 1, August 1, 2021.
2. Personnel: Please provide the name, role, appointment type, percent
effort, institutional base salary, requested salary, fringe rate and
requested fringe for all personnel.
1. Other considerations: Please note that there is no salary cap for PIs
or other faculty on a Simons Foundation grant; however, the
compensation is prorated according to the individual’s percent effort
on the grant. There is no minimum percent effort required for PIs or
other personnel on any SFARI award type, but it is expected that the
PI will commit sufficient effort to this project to provide a leading
intellectual and guiding role on the project. PIs committing less
than 15 percent effort to their project should justify their effort
level in detail. SFARI funds may be used only for personnel
considered employees of the grantee institution who are eligible for
benefits. Funds may not be used for stipend or benefit
supplementation unless specifically authorized under the terms of the
program from which funds are derived. The Simons Foundation reserves
the right to modify budgets when an application has been selected for
an award (see Simons Foundation policies).
1. Please do not use the field marked “For Internal Use
Only-Estimated Cost for Simons Collections Biospecimens” below the
“Indirect Costs” section in the “Budget Period Detail”.

2. Investigators interested in recruiting human participants,
including those from a Simons Collection must complete and submit
a Human Participants Study Information Sheet.
3. Indirect costs (IDCs): Indirect costs to the primary institution are
limited to 20 percent of direct costs with the following exceptions:
equipment, tuition and any portion of each subcontract in excess of
$25,000. The primary institution may take indirect costs on the first
$25,000 modified total direct costs of each subcontract. Indirect costs
paid to a subcontractor may not exceed 20 percent of the modified total
direct costs paid to the subcontractor. While IDCs on most equipment are
not allowable, IDCs on small equipment with a unit cost of less than
$10,000 are permissible.
4. Equipment: The Simons Foundation (SF) will own equipment purchased with
SF grant funds with a unit cost of $50,000 or more. At the end of the
grant funding period or in the case of grant termination for any reason,
SF reserves the right to retain ownership or cede ownership to the PI’s
institution. Equipment with a unit cost of less than $50,000 shall be
the property of the institution.
5. Biospecimens: If the proposal includes the use of Simons Collection
biospecimens (i.e., from the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) or Simons
Searchlight), the Simons Foundation will review the estimated cost based
on the price list on our website. Biospecimen costs will be considered
separately from other project costs. Enter the projected figure in the
field marked “Simons Collections Biospecimens (No IDC)” in the “Budget
Period Detail” section, under “Other Expenses.” A description of use,
including the number and type of biospecimens, should be included in the
proposal narrative and budget justification (see the “Proposal
Attachments” section below). Biospecimen costs must be excluded from the
IDC cost calculation.
6. Budget: For projects recruiting at a single site, the maximum total
budget is $250,000, including indirect costs, for up to three years. For
projects recruiting at multiple sites, the maximum total budget is
$400,000, including indirect costs, for up to three years.
7. Multiple PIs:
1. Please note that the applicant PI will be the designated contact PI
for the project. The contact PI will be responsible for directing the
project and will coordinate all administrative deliverables.

2. Applications with multiple PIs from different institutions who would
like to be paid separately must upload in the “Proposal Attachments”
section:
1. Signed signature page for each PI (available for download in the
“Proposal Attachments” and “Download Templates and Instructions”
sections).

2. Budget template for each non-applicant PI (available for download
in the “Proposal Attachments” and “Download Templates and
Instructions” sections).

3. The direct and indirect costs for all non-applicant PIs. Direct
costs must be included in the “Budget Period Detail” section in
the “Consortium & Contractual Direct” section, and indirect costs
should be included in the “Indirect Costs” section. Please add a
separate line for direct costs and one for indirect costs for each
non-applicant PI.

3. Applications with multiple PIs from different institutions who will
be paid directly by the contact PI’s institution are considered
subcontracts. Please refer to the subcontract instructions in the
“Subcontracts” section below.

4. Applications with multiple PIs from the same institution do not need
to submit additional materials. Additional non-applicant PIs should
be listed as key personnel in both the “Key Personnel” and “Budget
Period Detail” sections, and only one signature page is needed.
8. Subcontracts:
1. Applications with subcontracts (including PIs who will be paid
directly by the contact PI’s institution) must submit:
1. Subcontract detailed budget (available for download in the
“Proposal Attachments” and “Download Templates and Instructions”
sections) for each subcontract.

2. Subcontract direct and indirect costs. Subcontract direct costs
must be included in the “Consortium & Contractual Direct” section,
and subcontract indirect costs should be included in the “Indirect
Costs” section. Please add a separate line for direct costs and
one for indirect costs for each subcontract.
9. Budget Summary: The budget summary will populate from the saved detailed
budget.
10. Organization Assurances: Indicate use of human participants or vertebrate
animals in this section and status of approval from the Institutional
Review Board or Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee. Grants cannot
activate without current human participant and/or animal research ethical
approval.
11. Proposal Attachments: The following documents are to be uploaded in this
section, where they are also available for download:
1. Specific Aims Page: The Specific Aims Page should not exceed one (1)
page and should be a summary of the ongoing project focused on its
research aims, progress to date and a description of how SFARI funding
would be used to enhance biomarker collection and/or post-natal family
tracking.
2. Proposal Narrative: The Proposal Narrative should not exceed three (3)
pages of single-spaced, 11-point text, 0.5-inch margins. The Proposal
Narrative should be considered an expanded version of the Specific Aims
Page and used to provide specific detail on each of the following:
1. Relevant scientific background (including an overview of COVID-19
epidemiology in geographic region(s) of cohort recruitment)

2. Specific aims of the ongoing cohort study

3. Experimental design of the ongoing cohort study, including
biospecimen collection, processing, storage and distribution, as
well as any ongoing or future funded analyses

4. Preliminary results (including recruitment progress, as well as
progress in biomarker collection and family tracking)

5. Description of additional biomarker sampling and family tracking
that would be supported by an award from SFARI

6. Pitfalls and alternative strategies

7. Timeline and milestones

Figures, figure legends and references should follow the narrative
text and will NOT count towards the page limit. References should be
in Journal of Neuroscience format, including full author list, title
and a link to the PubMed publication. Figures are limited to 5, each
fitting on a single page. Please attach them at the end of the
three-page narrative in the same PDF file.
3. Human Participants Study Information Sheet:Required only for
investigators proposing to conduct human participant research/clinical
studies.
4. Biographical sketch of key personnel.
5. Budget justification.
6. Budget templates:
1. Multiple PIs: Applications with multiple PIs from different
institutions who would like to be paid separately must submit a
signed budget template for each PI institution.

2. Subcontract: Applications with subcontracts must submit a budget
template.
7. Research environment and resources.
8. Renewable reagents and data-sharing plan.
9. Current and pending support: Please upload current and pending support
both for PIs and for key personnel.
10. 501(c)(3) determination or equivalency letter (foreign institutions
only): Please upload, if available, a copy of your U.S. IRS 501(c)(3)
determination or equivalency letter as part of the application.
(See Simons Foundation policies.)
11. Signed signature page: Applications with multiple PIs from different
institutions who would like to be paid separately must submit a signed
signature page from each PI institution.
12. PI data sheet: Your professional profile will populate this section of the
application. If revisions are required, please select “Edit Professional
Profile” and go to the “Personal Data for Applications” section.
13. Validate: You must click the “Validate” button to check for any missing
required information or files. All missing required information will be
listed on the screen. Please supply any missing information before
proceeding to the next step.
14. Signature page(s): The signed signature page is available for download in
this section and must be signed by the signing official, then re-uploaded
in the Proposal Attachments section. Applications with multiple PIs from
different institutions who would like to be paid separately must submit a
signed signature page for each PI institution.
15. Submit: You will be unable to submit if you have not provided all the
required information. Any missing information will be listed on the screen.
If your submission is successful, you will receive a confirmation message
on the screen and a confirmation email.

Please note that narratives exceeding the three (3)-page limit will not be
reviewed. Figures, figure legends and references (formatted in the Journal of
Neuroscience style) are not included in the page limit.

CONTACTS

Administrative inquiries:
sfgrants@simonsfoundation.org
646-654-0066

Scientific inquiries and requests:
sciencerfa@simonsfoundation.org
646-654-0066

proposalCENTRAL:
pcsupport@altum.com
800-875-2562

Read More
Maximum Budget

Recruiting at a single site Maximum of $250,000 over 3 years
Recruiting at two or more sites Maximum of $400,000 over 3 years

Important Dates
* Application Deadline
March 12, 2021
* Award Notification
April 30, 2021
* Award Start Dates
June 1, 2021
July 1, 2021
August 1, 2021

* Eligibilityplus--large
Am I eligible to be a principal investigator (PI) on a SFARI
award?plus--large

All applicants and key collaborators must hold a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent
degree and have a faculty position or the equivalent at a college,
university, medical school or other research facility. In addition, eligible
applicants must have independent lab space at their institution. Applications
may be submitted by domestic and foreign nonprofit organizations; public and
private institutions, such as colleges, universities, hospitals,
laboratories, units of state and local government; and eligible agencies of
the federal government. There are no citizenship or country requirements. See
the Personnel FAQ section for more information on the responsibilities of a
SFARI principal investigator.

Can postdoctoral associates apply as PIs? plus--large

No, postdoctoral associates may not apply as PIs, even if your institution is
willing to submit an application on your behalf.

Senior postdoctoral research associates who are interested in pursuing an
independent career in autism research are encouraged to apply for SFARI’s
Bridge to Independence Award RFA.

Can foreign institutions apply for a grant?plus--large

Yes, foreign institutions may apply. Please see Simons Foundation policies
regarding international grants.

I am a recipient of the SFARI Bridge to Independence (BTI) award. Am I
eligible to apply as a PI to the Maternal COVID-19 RFA? plus--large

BTI awardees may not apply to be PIs on the Maternal COVID-19 RFA within two
years of the BTI grant start date. However, BTI awardees may be named in
other personnel roles, including co-investigator and consultant. After the
two-year moratorium, BTI awardees may apply as a PI for any SFARI grant
program. Note that this moratorium applies only to SFARI grants and no other
grant award programs within the Simons Foundation, such as the Simons
Collaboration on the Global Brain or the Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship
Awards.

* Personnelplus--large
What is the difference between a principal investigator (PI) and a
co-investigator?plus--large

Principal Investigator
The individual(s) judged by the applicant organization to have the
appropriate level of authority and responsibility to direct the project or
program supported by the grant. All PIs must hold a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent
degree and have a faculty position or the equivalent at a college,
university, medical school or other research facility. In addition, eligible
applicants must have independent lab space at their institution. PIs are
responsible and accountable to their respective applicant organizations and
SFARI for the proper conduct of their project or activity, including the
submission of all required reports. PIs act as the main point of contact for
the foundation.

Co-Investigator
An individual involved with the PI in the scientific development or execution
of a project. The co-investigator must hold a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent and
be employed by, or affiliated with, the applicant/grantee organization or
another organization participating in the project under a consortium
agreement. A co-investigator is considered key personnel, but the Simons
Foundation does not require a minimum effort from the co-investigator. The
designation of a co-investigator, if applicable, does not affect the PI’s
roles and responsibilities, nor is it a role implying multiple PIs.

Is there a minimum percent effort for PIs or co-investigators?plus--large

We seek applications from independent investigators who can devote a
substantial portion of time to this effort. There is no minimum percent
effort required for any personnel, but we expect personnel, in particular PIs
and co-investigators, to have efforts that reflect their roles in the
project.

Can multiple PIs apply for a grant?plus--large

When relevant, the applicant organization may designate multiple individuals
as PIs who share the authority and responsibility for leading and directing
the project, intellectually and logistically. Each PI is responsible and
accountable to the applicant organization or, as appropriate, to a
collaborating organization, for the proper conduct of the project or program,
including the submission of all required reports. The presence of more than
one identified PI on an application or award diminishes neither the
responsibility nor the accountability of any individual PI.

The first PI listed, under whose name the application is submitted, will
serve as the contact PI for administrative purposes. The contact PI must be
affiliated with the institution submitting the application. The contact PI
will be responsible for communication between SFARI and the rest of the
leadership team.

The role type “Co-PI” will not be used by SFARI.

How do I designate multiple PIs on the application?plus--large
* Applications with multiple PIs from different institutions who would like
to be paid separately must upload in the “Proposal Attachments” section:
* Signed signature page for each PI (available for download in the
“Proposal Attachments” and “Download Templates and Instructions”
sections).
* Budget template for each non-applicant PI (available for download in the
“Proposal Attachments” and “Download Templates and Instructions”
sections).
* The direct and indirect costs for all non-applicant PIs. Direct costs
must be included in the “Budget Period Detail” section in the
“Consortium & Contractual Direct” section, and indirect costs should be
included in the “Indirect Costs” section. Please add a separate line for
direct costs and one for indirect costs for each non-applicant PI.
* Applications with multiple PIs from different institutions who will be
paid directly by the contact PI’s institution are considered subcontracts.
Subcontracts must submit:
* Subcontract Detailed Budget (available for download in the “Proposal
Attachments” and “Download Templates and Instructions” sections) for
each subcontract.
* Subcontract direct costs must be included in the “Consortium &
Contractual Direct” section, and subcontract indirect costs should be
included in the “Indirect Costs” section. Please add a separate line for
both direct costs and indirect costs for each subcontract.
* Only one signature page from the institution of the applicant PI
submitting the application is required.
* Applications with multiple PIs from the same institution do not need to
submit additional materials. Additional non-applicant PIs should be listed
as key personnel in both the “Key Personnel” and “Budget Period Detail”
sections, and only one signature page is needed.

As the contact PI, should I be listed as key personnel in the application on
proposalCENTRAL (pC)?plus--large

No. Please list only additional key personnel on the application (i.e.,
co-investigators, non-contact PI(s), postdoctoral research associates, etc.).

Where do I enter additional co-investigators and additional key
personnel?plus--large

You can save personnel details in the “Key Personnel” section on the
application.

Can co-investigators and additional personnel be listed on multiple
applications?plus--large

Yes, co-investigators and additional personnel can be listed on multiple
applications.

Does the Simons Foundation require letters of support or
collaboration?plus--large

We do not require letters of support or letters of collaboration from
co-investigators. If a letter is prepared, it can be uploaded as “Appendix –
In-press papers on related topics.”

* Submissionplus--large
What is the submission schedule?plus--large

The submission schedule is as follows:

* February 18, 2021 RFA Opens
* March 12, 2021 Application Deadline

Where do I submit the proposal?plus--large

New users first need to register on proposalCENTRAL (pC). For all users, log
in and select create new proposal or click on the “Grant Opportunities” tab.
The SFARI programs will be listed during the submission period. Click “Apply
Now” to start the application and access the template. After all sections are
completed and your application PDF is uploaded, you will be able to click the
“Submit” button to send the application.

How do I create a proposalCENTRAL user account?plus--large

Go to https://proposalcentral.com/ and click “Create one now” under “Need an
account?” Fill in the required fields, check the boxes to agree to
proposalCENTRAL’s “Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy” and then click
“Save.”

Can I email or mail a proposal?plus--large

No, the Simons Foundation accepts only applications submitted online through
pC.

Can someone else (assistant, staff member, etc.) submit my application for
me?plus--large

Yes, you can add users with administrator access to the pC application so
that someone other than the principal investigator (PI) can edit and submit
the application.

Can I change the contact PI?plus--large

Yes, linked instructions for how to change the contact PI can be found in the
application. The person who starts an application will be named as the PI on
the Applicant/PI page. If the Applicant/PI section does not show the correct
person (e.g., someone else started the online application and you are the PI,
or you started the application and someone else is the PI), you must update
this section before submitting.

Does the PI need to sign the signature page?plus--large

No, only the signing official is required to sign the signature page.

Where is the “Submit” button?plus--large

The “Submit” button is located in the last section of the application. You
will be unable to submit if you have not provided all the required
information. If the submission deadline has NOT passed, use the “Validate”
button to check for missing requirements. If the problem persists, please
contact pcsupport@altum.com.

If the deadline has passed, the submission period has closed, and you will
not be able to submit.

I get an error message citing a missing section when I try to
submit.plus--large

The “Validate” button reviews your application for missing sections. The
submission instructions list the required sections and attachments. You must
complete the missing sections listed. If you are still receiving error
messages after completing and saving the indicated sections, please contact
pcsupport@altum.com.

Are deadline times adjusted for time zones?plus--large

No, please be advised that application deadlines on the application are in
Eastern Time. We recommend registering early and submitting applications with
ample time for corrections prior to the deadline hour. Site traffic can slow
page-load times. The “Submit” button will not work after the deadline time
has passed.

Is there a confirmation email when I submit?plus--large

A confirmation email is sent upon submission of the application. Please
contact pcsupport@altum.com if you submitted your application and have not
received a confirmation email within 10 minutes. Make sure that spam filters
allow emails from pcsupport@altum.com. The application will be in the
“Submitted” tab when you next log in.

Can I make changes to the application once it has been submitted?plus--large

Before you can make changes to your submitted application, you must first
contact the Simons Foundation. Please email sfarigrants@simonsfoundation.org
or call (646) 654-0066. Applications can only be changed prior to the
deadline.

Is validating my proposal the same as submitting it?plus--large

No. “Validating” the proposal checks for errors and omissions and will alert
you to missing requirements of your application. If the application is
complete, you must then click the “Submit” button. You will receive an email
within 10 minutes and should contact pcsupport@altum.com if you do not
receive confirmation and do not see your application in the “Submitted” tab
or with the status changed to “Submitted.”

The funding notification date has passed, and I haven’t received a
notification. What is the status of my proposal?plus--large

You should receive notification within 24 hours of the deadline. Please check
your spam filter settings if you have not received notification by then.

* Multiple Application Submissionplus--large
Can PIs submit multiple applications?plus--large

Principal Investigators may submit multiple applications for funding in a
single calendar year. Receiving an award under this RFA will not affect
likelihood of receiving another SFARI award in 2021.

* Proposalplus--large
What should be included in the Specific Aims Page?plus--large

The Specific Aims Page should be a summary of the ongoing project focused on
its research aims, progress to date, and a description of how SFARI funding
would be used to enhance biomarker collection and/or post-natal family
tracking.

What is the page limit for the Specific Aims Page?plus--large

The Specific Aims Page should not exceed one (1) page of single-spaced, size
11 text, 0.5-inch margins.

What is the page limit for the Proposal Narrative?plus--large

Proposal Narratives should not exceed three (3) pages single-spaced, 11-point
text, 0.5-inch margins. Figures, figure legends and references should follow
the narrative text and will NOT count towards the page limit.

How should the Proposal Narrative be organized?plus--large

The Proposal Narrative should be considered an expanded version of the
Specific Aims Page and used to provide more detail on the following:

* Relevant scientific background
* Specific aims
* Experimental design
* Preliminary results
* Description of proposed, additional biomarker sampling and family tracking
* Pitfalls and alternative strategies
* Timeline and milestones

SFARI considers the following information crucial for the evaluation of a
project and encourages including the following details (where relevant):

* Patient cohorts used (including source of participants, sample size and
availability of genetic data). Investigators should also complete the
Human Participants Study Information Sheet.
* Include datasets or biospecimen collections to be used (including SFARI
resources) and their availability.
* Provide a brief statement of statistical power.
* Investigators should refer to the “Methodological and Statistical
Considerations” sheet for further information on necessary experimental
detail to include in the proposal narrative.

Are references, figures and figure legends included in the Proposal Narrative
page limit? How should they be included?plus--large

References, figures and figure legends are not included in the page limits
for the Proposal Narrative, although there is a limit of 5 figures (each
fitting on a single page). The Simons Foundation’s preference is for figures
to follow the narrative rather than be embedded in the text. Please attach
them at the end of the narrative in the same PDF file. References should be
in Journal of Neuroscience format, including full author list, title and a
link to the PubMed publication.

What can I include as an appendix?plus--large

In-press papers can be included as appendices, as well as any papers that you
consider essential for the work of the review committee, not more than three
(3) papers. Any other material should be included, if possible, in the
narrative. If you have video attachments for your proposal, please upload as
an appendix (all file types are accepted).

I plan to recruit human participants for my proposed study. Do I need to
provide more information beyond what is included in my Proposal
Narrative?plus--large

Yes. All applications proposing to recruit human participants must complete
the “Human Participants Study Information Sheet” available in
proposalCENTRAL.

* Budgetplus--large
What do I do if there is a subcontract on the application? plus--large

Applications with a subcontract (including PIs who will be paid directly by
the contact PI’s institution) must submit:

* Subcontract Detailed Budget (available for download in the “Proposal
Attachments” and “Download Templates and Instructions” sections) for each
subcontract.
* Subcontract direct costs must be included in the “Consortium & Contractual
Direct” section, and subcontract indirect costs should be included in the
“Indirect Costs” section. Please add a separate line for both direct costs
and indirect costs for each subcontract.

Are indirect costs included in the budget limits?plus--large

Yes. For projects recruiting at a single site, the maximum allowable budget
across all years is $250,000, which includes indirect costs at 20 percent.
For projects recruiting at multiple sites, the maximum allowable budget
across all years is $400,000, including indirect costs. Please note that
indirect costs cannot be taken on equipment with a unit cost of more than
$10,000.

* Accessing Simons Collection Resources (i.e., SSC, Simons Searchlight, SPARK
and AIC)plus--large
How can I apply to recruit SPARK participants for my research
studies?plus--large

Researchers may submit an application on SFARI Base. The SPARK Participant
Access Committee considers applications on a quarterly basis, but
applications may be submitted at any time. Please refer to the SPARK
recruitment process document for more details and email collections@sfari.org
with any questions.

How can I find out more about the data collected from SPARK participants?
plus--large

Please see the SPARK webpage for more information about the SPARK cohort and
available data. You can access and request information about the data
collected from SPARK via SFARI Base. If you do not have a SFARI Base account,
you must create one. If you have problems logging in or have questions
regarding the collections, please email collections@sfari.org.

Year Awarded
* All
* 2021

COVID-19 PREGNANCY REGISTRY OF IMMUNE RESPONSES AND MATERNAL MICROBIOME (COVID
PRISM)

* Awarded: 2021
* Award Type: Targeted: Maternal COVID-19
* Award #: 870754

* Andrea Edlow, M.D., M.Sc. Harvard Medical School

COVID-19 OUTCOMES IN MOTHER-INFANT PAIRS (COMP STUDY): A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF
IMMUNOPATHOGENESIS AND NEURODEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOMES IN CHILDREN EXPOSED TO SARS
COV-2 IN UTERO

* Awarded: 2021
* Award Type: Targeted: Maternal COVID-19
* Award #: 866410

* Karin Nielsen, M.D. University of California, Los Angeles

GENERATION C: THE IMPACT OF MATERNAL COVID-19 INFECTION AND INFLAMMATION ON RISK
FOR AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

* Awarded: 2021
* Award Type: Targeted: Maternal COVID-19
* Award #: 866027

* Anna-Sophie Rommel, Ph.D. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

COVID-19 IN PREGNANCY AND EARLY CHILDHOOD: COPE STUDY

* Awarded: 2021
* Award Type: Targeted: Maternal COVID-19
* Award #: 863675

* Verena Sengpiel, M.D., Ph.D. University of Gothenburg

www.sfari.org Open in urlscan Pro 2606:4700::6812:1c11 Public Scan

Form analysis 3 forms found in the DOM

GET https://www.sfari.org/

GET https://www.sfari.org/newsletter

GET https://www.sfari.org/

Text Content

www.sfari.org Open in urlscan Pro
2606:4700::6812:1c11 Public Scan

Form analysis
3 forms found in the DOM