The Fellows-to-Faculty Award is a new iteration of the previously offered Simons Foundation Independence Awards.

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 our scientific community.

This award supports talented early career scientists and their research vision as they transition into tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions. Fellows engage in a lively, interdisciplinary community and participate in scientific and career development activities.

The 2025 request for applications is intended for senior postdoctoral scholars or equivalent researchers whose backgrounds and experiences are underrepresented in science and whose future research program advances the mission of either the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) or Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain (SCPAB). Fellows may activate awards at research institutions within or outside the United States.

Scientific Areas

For the 2025 request for applications (RFA), we seek to support scientists whose scientific vision for their future independent laboratory contributes to the mission of either or both of the following scientific areas:

Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI), consistent with SFARI scientific perspectives
Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain (SCPAB), consistent with the SCPAB’s mission

We welcome applications from scientists with a previous background in these areas and those newly applying their expertise to these areas. We aim to foster a diverse, interdisciplinary and collaborative scientific community to promote innovation in science.

Individuals may submit an application to SFARI, SCPAB or both. If submitting to both areas, applicants must submit two (2) separate applications, tailored to the respective scientific areas.

Timeline for Transition to a Faculty Position

Fellows are expected to transition to a tenure-track or equivalent faculty position any time between notification of their selection for the award and the end of the 2026-2027 academic year. To that end, fellows are expected to apply to faculty positions between September 2025–May 2026.

Funding

Each fellow is provided up to five (5) years of financial support, split into a faculty research award over three (3) years and an optional postdoctoral award for a maximum of two (2) years.