Request for Applications: 2025 Post-Doctoral Save Our Scientists (SOS) Grant Program
RFA Released: July 15, 2025
Applications Due: October 17, 2025 5:00 PM ET
Notification of Awards: March 2026
Introduction
ASF’s new Post-Doctoral “Save Our Scientists” award is being released in response to changing conditions regarding federal support for autism research. ASF is committed to supporting postdoctoral autism researchers whose work aims to improve the lives of people with autism. This new mechanism is designed to provide existing postdoctoral fellows with additional flexible support to ensure their continued success as early career autism researchers.
Funds should be used to support research costs, travel, training opportunities, supplies, data access, research participant support, and other direct expenses. It is not intended to serve as a full Post-Doctoral stipend. Funds may be transferred to a different institution when a fellow is promoted to a tenure track position or moves institutions.
The Post-Doctoral fellow’s research must be scientifically linked to autism. Autism Science Foundation will consider all areas of basic and clinical research including but not limited to: human behavior across the lifespan (language, learning, communication, social function, epilepsy, sleep, self-injurious behavior, catatonia), neurobiology (anatomy, development, neuro-imaging), pharmacology, neuropathology, human genetics, genomics, epigenetics, epigenomics, immunology, molecular and cellular mechanisms, studies employing model organisms and systems, and studies of treatment, service delivery, policy and employment. Priority will be given to studies that focus on profound autism and/or include participants with profound autism. In addition, we are particularly interested in sex differences, females, research that answers questions about why there is a 4:1 difference in diagnosis in males vs. females.
Awards
The Autism Science Foundation will make a number of awards based on available financial resources. Awards of up to $25,000 will be made directly to the institution sponsoring the research to support specific direct expenses as described in the application budget.
Eligibility
Applicants must be a current post-doctoral fellow with an accredited college or university, or be in a post-doctoral fellowship at the time the funding begins. Individuals from both outside and within the United States are eligible to apply, regardless of where their research is being conducted.