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Neuroscience

Simons Foundation Autism & Neuroscience Conferences and Courses Awards

Policies and
Procedures
Opens April 1
Application Deadline
Important Dates
  • Applications Open
  • LOI Deadline
  • LOI Notification
  • Full Proposal Deadline (Finalists Only)
  • Award Notification
  • Award Start Date
Important Dates
  • Applications Open
  • LOI Deadline
  • LOI Notification
  • Full Proposal Deadline (Finalists Only)
  • Award Notification
  • Award Start Date
Contact Info

Opportunity

The Autism & Neuroscience division at the Simons Foundation is accepting applications for funding of courses or conferences. This year, courses and conferences that align with the scientific missions of any of the following programs will be prioritized: Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI), with a mission to advance the basic science of autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders, the Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain (SCPAB), with a focus on healthy cognitive aging, and the Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB), with a focus on the fields of systems and computational neuroscience.

Eligibility

Applications may be submitted by course or conference organizers who are employed by nonprofit organizations; public and private institutions, such as colleges, universities, hospitals, laboratories and units of state and local government; and eligible agencies of the federal government. There are no citizenship or country requirements.

To be eligible for funding through the 2025 RFA for the Conferences and Courses Award, at least one instance of the course or conference must occur between September 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026.

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. The Gordon Research Conferences (GRC) or Seminars (GRS) are not eligible for funding through this RFA. They are funded through a separate common block grant. Please reach out to the GRC administration to have your conference considered for support through the block grant.

Funding and Timeline

Funding may be requested for a period of up to three years. For each year of support, funding will be determined by request and justification. Funding will be provided in the form of a gift, and indirect costs will not be permitted. For requests of $25,000 per year and above, applicants must contact sfarigrants@simonsfoundation.org by May 9, 2025, before submitting their application to obtain prior written approval. Please note that we do not typically fund any course or conference in its entirety and all applicants are strongly encouraged to seek multiple sources of funding support. The Simons Foundation Autism & Neuroscience division intends to run a yearly Conferences and Courses Award RFA moving forward. Funding requests may not overlap across years for the same course or conference through this RFA or any previous Simons Foundation RFA for conferences and courses.

Your institution will be contacted by Simons Foundation staff for a summary of the events after their completion.

Please note that in the event of budgetary or other considerations, The Simons Foundation, Inc. reserves the right to refer an application to The Simons Foundation International, Ltd. (SFI) for consideration and funding, in which case SFI’s grant policies would apply.

Instructions for Submission

Prospective applicants must submit a letter of intent (LOI) by May 22, 2025, 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern Time. LOIs must be completed electronically and submitted through Simons Award Manager (SAM). Please refer to the How to Apply and FAQ sections for further details.

The following information constitutes the LOI and must be submitted:

  • Proposal Narrative (1-2 pages): Please upload a PDF outlining the objective and structure of the course or conference. The narrative should include (but is not limited to) the following: the objective and structure of the course or conference, its planned frequency, a description of how the course or conference aligns with the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI), Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain (SCPAB), and/or Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB) scientific mission, course/conference director(s) or organizing committee, course/conference title, start and end dates for each instance of the course or conference for which funds are requested, location and website (optional). If applicable, please provide information on why the location of this course or conference will provide access to populations and/or geographies where courses and conferences in neuroscience have been less numerous.
  • Budget: Applicants will be asked to provide 1) a budget for the funds requested from the Simons Foundation’s Autism and Neuroscience division; and 2) an overall budget for the course or conference, including other sources of funding, both pending and confirmed. A separate budget should be provided for each year of funding requested, up to three (3) years, as per the instructions in the Timeline and Funding section. Applicants may request different funding levels for each year of requested funding, with corresponding budget justifications.
  • Code of Conduct: Applicants will be asked to confirm that the course or conference has a code of conduct that will provide an environment for the exchange of scientific ideas and knowledge that conforms to the highest ethical, professional and legal standards.
  • Description: Applicants will be asked to provide a description/abstract of the course or conference.

Finalists selected for an award will be notified by July 10, 2025. All finalist LOIs will be converted to full applications in SAM by Simons Foundation staff. Full applications will require submission of a budget and signature indicating institutional approval by July 24, 2025. Once we have received and approved the full application in SAM, we will issue a formal gift letter.

Our Commitment to Expanding Pathways to Science and 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.

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Important Dates
  • Applications Open
  • LOI Deadline
  • LOI Notification
  • Full Proposal Deadline (Finalists Only)
  • Award Notification
  • Award Start Date
Contact Info

Prospective applicants must submit a letter of intent (LOI) by May 22, 2025, 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern Time.

LOIs must be completed electronically and submitted through Simons Award Manager (SAM). Please click on the Funding Opportunities icon and navigate to the Simons Foundation Autism & Neuroscience Conferences and Courses Call. Click the Create Application button to begin. Informational videos and answers to frequently asked questions on submitting applications in SAM can be found here.

Please note that in the event of budgetary or other considerations The Simons Foundation, Inc. reserves the right to refer an application to The Simons Foundation International, Ltd. (SFI) for consideration and funding, in which case SFI’s grant policies would apply.

Letter of Intent Submission Instructions

To submit a LOI, you must complete the following sections in SAM:

  • Proposal Tab: Please enter and/or upload all required application materials in SAM. This includes (but is not limited to) a proposal narrative, a budget narrative and a code of conduct for the course or conference. Templates are available in SAM for all required fields. Detailed instructions for each requirement are provided within the templates. Please adhere to all page limits and guidelines provided in the templates.
  • Contacts & Personnel Tab: Institution contacts and/or project personnel are not required at the LOI stage. However, if you need to add an administrator or other contact to assist with completion of the LOI, you would add that person on this tab. Each person added with application access must have their own SAM user account.
  • Abstract & Keywords Tab: Please provide a description/abstract for the course or conference and any social media handles (optional) to be posted on the Simons Foundation website/social media, if awarded.
  • Check Application Progress: Click the Check Application Progress button to check for any missing required information or files. All missing required information will be listed at the top of the screen and must be corrected before the LOI can be submitted.

    • Submit Application: When the LOI application is complete, please click on the Submit Application button to submit to the foundation. A confirmation page will appear once the LOI is successfully submitted. A confirmation email is also sent upon submission. Please make sure that spam filters allow emails from no-reply@simonsfoundation.org. Please contact sfarigrants@simonsfoundation.org if you did not receive a confirmation email, and it is not in your spam folder. The submitted application will appear in the Submitted tab of the Applications in Progress table. Please note that you will not be able to submit an application if the deadline has passed.

    Once your application has been submitted, the Simons Foundation will be in touch if we require any additional information or revisions for your submission. Please monitor your inbox and make sure that spam filters allow emails from sfarigrants@simonsfoundation.org. Applicants are encouraged to monitor the status of the submission through SAM periodically.

    LOI Approval: A submitted LOI will appear in the Submitted queue of the Applications in Progress table on your SAM home page. If an LOI is approved, the status changes to In Progress. Click on the record to gain access to the full proposal application.

    Full Application Submission Instructions

    The deadline for full proposal submission is July 24, 2025, 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern Time. Please plan carefully with your institution to meet this deadline. Applicants invited to submit a full application will receive a notification from sfarigrants@simonsfoundation.org with a detailed list of requirements and information about the amount to request in the budget. Please refer to the details in that notification while completing the full application.

    • Proposal Tab: Please complete all required fields in this section. Applicants must refer to the details in the notification sent from sfarigrants@simonsfoundation.org for a detailed list of requirements.
    • Contacts & Personnel Tab: Institution contacts are required at the full application stage. You must add at least one (1) institution signing official and financial officer to the Institution Administrative Contacts section before you will be able to submit.
    • Abstract & Keywords Tab: You can update the description/abstract for the course or conference, if needed. Please note that this description will be used on the Simons Foundation website.
    • Budget Tab: Click the Edit/Modify button to add a budget. The amount requested should match the recommended level of funding provided in the notification sent to the applicant from sfarigrants@simonsfoundation.org.

    Check Application Progress: Click the Check Application Progress button to check for any missing required information or files. All missing required information will be listed at the top of the screen and must be corrected before the application can be submitted.

    Send for Sign-off: When the application is complete, please click on the Send for sign-off button to send to your signing official for signature. You will receive a notification when the application is signed.

    Submit Application: When the full proposal application is complete and signed, please click on the Submit Application button. A confirmation page will appear once the application is successfully submitted. A confirmation email is also sent upon submission. Please make sure that spam filters allow emails from no-reply@simonsfoundation.org. Please contact sfarigrants@simonsfoundation.org if you did not receive a confirmation email, and it is not in your spam folder. It will appear in the Submitted tab of the Applications in Progress table. Please note that you will not be able to submit an application if the deadline has passed.

Important Dates
  • Applications Open
  • LOI Deadline
  • LOI Notification
  • Full Proposal Deadline (Finalists Only)
  • Award Notification
  • Award Start Date
Contact Info

  1. Yes. There are no citizenship or country requirements.

  2. No. This call is for organizers of courses and conferences for funds to support running these events. These awards are given to institutions/organizations, not individuals.

  3. Applicants may request funding for up to three (3) consecutive years. If your course or conference is annual, you may apply for funding for three (3) instances of the course (Years 1, 2 and 3). If your course or conference is every other year, you may apply for funding for two (2) instances of the course (Years 1 and 3). If you are planning only one (1) instance of a course or conference, you may apply for only one year of funding, as long as the course or conference occurs between September 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026.

  4. Yes, however funding requests may not overlap across years for the same course or conference either through this RFA or a previous RFA for courses and conferences.

  5. Yes, however, they may not be the PI and/or receive funding through the award.

  6. No. The Gordon Research Conferences (GRC) or Seminars (GRS) are not eligible for funding through this RFA. They are funded through a separate common block grant. Please reach out to the GRC administration to have your conference considered for support through the block grant.

  7. No. However, successful finalists will need an institutional sign-off for the full proposal.

  8. When the LOI application is complete, please click on the Submit Application button. A confirmation page will appear once the application is successfully submitted. It will appear in the Submitted tab of the Applications in Progress table. Please note that you will not be able to submit an application if the deadline has passed.

  9. The Check Application Progress button reviews your proposal for missing sections. The submission instructions list the required sections and attachments. You must complete the missing items listed in the error message. If you are still receiving error messages after completing and saving the indicated sections, please contact samsupport@simonsfoundation.org.

  10. A confirmation email is sent upon submission. Make sure that spam filters allow emails from no-reply@simonsfoundation.org. Additionally, the proposal will be in the Submitted tab of the Applications in Progress table after submission. Please check your application status periodically after submission by logging into SAM and ensuring there are no incomplete materials or pending tasks to complete. Applications will not be reviewed if they are not listed as complete.

  11. No. Please be advised that deadlines are in Eastern Time. We recommend registering early and submitting with ample time for corrections prior to the deadline hour. Site traffic can slow page-load times. You will not be able to submit after the deadline time has passed.

  12. No extensions will be given. If you have any difficulties, please email sfarigrants@simonsfoundation.org.

  13. You must contact Simons Foundation staff prior to the May 22, 2025 deadline to un-submit your LOI. Please email

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

  14. With an accepted LOI, you gain access to the full proposal application in Simons Award Manager (SAM). Log in and go to the Draft tab of the Applications in Progress table. Click the application you want to complete. Once all sections are complete, click Submit Application to send your application.

  15. Please note that in the event of budgetary or other considerations The Simons Foundation, Inc. reserves the right to refer an application to The Simons Foundation International, Ltd. (SFI) for consideration and funding, in which case SFI’s grant policies would apply.

Other Funding Opportunities
View All Funding Opportunities
Program Name
Important Dates
Description

Fellows-to-Faculty Award

In order to advance the frontiers of research in science, the Simons Foundation’s Autism & Neuroscience division recognizes the need for diverse ideas and perspectives that contribute to the scientific enterprise. We offer the Fellows-to-Faculty Award program to identify scientists with extraordinary potential to advance our scientific areas of interest and nurture greater diversity in…

Simons Foundation Neuroscience Collaborations Courses and Conferences Awards

The Neuroscience Collaborations at the Simons Foundation are accepting applications for funding of courses or conferences in fundamental neuroscience. Courses and conferences that align with the scientific missions of our programs, the Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB), with a focus on the fields of systems and computational neuroscience, and/or the Simons Collaboration on…

Shenoy Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Neuroscience (SURFiN)

The goal of the Simons Foundation’s Shenoy Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Neuroscience (SURFiN) program is to spark and sustain interest in neuroscience among undergraduate students from diverse and/or historically underrepresented backgrounds in science. SURFiN provides funds for paid research assistantships for undergraduate students living near participating laboratories in the U.S., Canada, and Europe that are…

Simons Foundation Autism & Neuroscience Conferences and Courses Awards Online Application

All applicants for this grant must use our new grants management portal, the Simons Award Manager (SAM), to submit applications.

If you are applying to the Simons Foundation for the first time, please register in SAM before selecting “Create Application.” Instructional videos about using SAM can be found here.

If you have a ProposalCentral (pC ) account, a profile was created for you in SAM using the email address associated with your pC account. Please select “Forgot Password?,” set a new password for your SAM account and then select “Create Application.”

Applications and grants previously submitted in pC will still be managed in pC.

To create a new application, click on the button below. After creating an application, navigate to the “Applications in Progress” section on your homepage to access the in-progress application.

sam Create Application
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