Established independent investigators in an area other than autism at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) and seeking to transition to a career in autism, thereby bringing their expertise to the field.

Investigators must not have received a Career Development Award (or equivalent) previously from any program within the CDMRP or other federal agencies.

Investigators must not have received more than $250,000 in total direct costs for previous or concurrent autism research as a PI of one or more federally or privately funded, non-mentored, peer-reviewed grants.

Must hold a Ph.D., M.D., M.D./Ph.D. or equivalent at time of pre-application submission.

Must not be a graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, or other "mentored" researcher.

• Supports early-career, independent investigators and/or the transition of established investigators from other research fields to conduct:
  • Innovative, high-impact ideas or
  • Early-phase, proof-of-principle clinical trials with the potential to have a major impact on autism.
• Preliminary data relevant to the proposed project are required.
• Pre-application is required; application submission is by invitation only.

• Maximum funding of $550,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
• Maximum period of performance is 3 years.

Nested Early-Career Investigator Option: Investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) may collaborate on a single application with a young investigator (at the level of postdoctoral fellow up to early-career independent faculty) who meets the following criteria at the application submission deadline date:

• Must be in a current postdoctoral training position or have completed postdoctoral training by the application deadline.
• Is no more than seven years from the receipt of a terminal degree.
• Has the freedom to commit at least 50% time to the project.

• Supports research with the potential to have a major impact on the treatment and/or management of autism.
• Preliminary data relevant to the proposed clinical trial are required.
• Nested Early-Career Investigator Option: Supports the development of young investigators pursuing or wishing to pursue a career in autism clinical trial research.
• Pre-application is required; application submission is by invitation only.

• Maximum funding of $2,700,000 for total costs.
• Maximum period of performance is 4 years.

Nested Early-Career Investigator Option:

• Maximum funding of $3,000,000 for total costs.
• Maximum period of performance is 4 years.

• Supports innovative, non-incremental, high-risk/potentially high-reward research in the earliest stages of idea development or an untested theory that addresses an important problem in autism.
• Emphasis on Innovation and Impact.
• Preliminary data are not required.
• Clinical trials are not allowed.
• Pre-application is required; application submission is by invitation only.

• Maximum allowable funding of $200,000 for the entire period of performance for direct costs.
• Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution's negotiated rate agreement.
• The maximum period of performance is 2 years.

Multiple PI Option: 
Up to two investigators may collaborate on a single application, each of whom will be recognized as a Principal Investigator (PI) and receive a separate award.

• Supports the development of innovative, high-impact ideas that advance the understanding of autism and ultimately lead to improved outcomes.
• Preliminary data relevant to the proposed project are required.
• Clinical trials or applications, including a clinical trial aim, are not allowed.
• Pre-application is required; application submission is by invitation only.

• Maximum funding of $550,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
• Maximum period of performance is 3 years.