Aligning Research to Impact Autism (ARIA) is opening a Request for Applications (RFA) for institution-based, collaborative, multidisciplinary clinical research teams to join the Innovative Medicine and Precision Approaches to Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Network, a robust and collaborative international network of sites with the goal to accelerate clinical trial readiness and implementation for both syndromic and non-syndromic forms of autism.
Despite advancements in autism research, effectively translating these discoveries into improved clinical care and better outcomes for those with ASD and related neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) remains a challenge.
ARIA intends to leverage the experience and lessons learned from existing clinical research consortia and expand upon them to meet the complex needs of a robust, multicenter clinical trial infrastructure and enable rapid and effective therapeutic development.
The IMPACT Network seeks to enable:
a) standardized, coordinated quantitative phenotyping across participating sites;
b) the capacity to deliver cutting-edge clinical research interventions;
c) the opportunity to contribute to foundational collaborative human neuroscience research; and
d) the ability to run sufficiently powered clinical trials.
The IMPACT Network will comprise a multisite clinical trial infrastructure enabling rapid and effective therapeutic development. This network will serve as a foundation and catalyst for all types of therapeutics, from targeted treatments for genetically defined cohorts of individuals with syndromic ASD, to large-scale pharmacological and non-invasive neuromodulatory trials in non-syndromic ASD, to early behavioral intervention and biomarker development studies.
The Request for Application (RFA) process has four steps:
Proposals will be accepted from any United States (including territories of the United States), United Kingdom, and Canada-based public or private-sector organizations, including nonprofit and for-profit organizations, that provide clinical care for individuals affected by ASD and related NDDs.
Sites with clinical capacity for both syndromic and non-syndromic ASD and NDDs, the ability to integrate translational research into their workstreams, and a history of successful collaborative research and clinical trials in ASD and NDDs will be prioritized in the selection process.
Qualified applicants must demonstrate the capacity to:
Applicants invited to submit a full application may request up to $15 million USD over 5 years, which will be split across two components: an operational component and trial readiness component.
Download the RFA Overview for a full list of instructions and requirements and to view the pre-application questions. The application submission portal will open the week of June 23, 2025.
Several FAQs are listed below. View a full list of FAQs.
Applicants invited to submit a full application can request up to $15 million USD in direct costs over 5 years. Funding will support the personnel and materials needed to enable this program’s operational and trial readiness components. The indirect cost rate for all entities is 15%.
The ARIA IMPACT Network will include multiple participating sites. We expect to invite up to 30 applicants to submit the full application with a final selection of up to 10 sites.
Canadian and UK-based public or private sector organizations, including nonprofits and for-profit institutions that provide clinical care for individuals affected by ASD and related NDDs, can apply for this funding.
The pre-application consists of short answer questions and prompts designed to preliminarily assess the capabilities of applying teams and their institutional capabilities and support, and for multi-institution applications to assess the ability of the team to collaborate across sites.
The pre-application questions are focused on the following areas: (1) organizational profile, (2) leadership and team profile, (3) clinical care, (4) clinical trials, and (5) clinical biomarkers.
To view the pre-application questions, download the RFA Overview.
No. Multi-site applications are not required and will not confer a competitive advantage. Single-site applications that meet the organizational eligibility criteria are fully acceptable and encouraged. That said, applicants may choose to submit a multi-site application if they believe that strategic collaboration across institutions would meaningfully strengthen their proposed approach. Applicants have full discretion in shaping the structure of their applications and should focus on assembling the team and resources best suited to deliver on the goals of the IMPACT Network.
Our grant submission portal for pre-applications will open during the week of June 23, 2025. Applications must be submitted by July 14, 2025, at 11:59PM ET. If you would like to receive an email alert when the portal is open, please fill out the Stay Informed form located below.
ARIA is made up of three interconnected focus areas: (1) the IMPACT Network, (2) Frontier Science Research Hubs, and (3) a Shared Data Infrastructure. While the current RFA is specific to the IMPACT Network, we plan to have additional funding opportunities within the Frontier Science focus area. The timing for when those opportunities will open is TBD. You can always contact our team (grants@aligningscience.com) or view our website for updates.
For inquiries about scientific priorities, eligibility requirements, and application submission, please contact grants@aligningscience.com.
For all other questions, including general and media inquiries related to ARIA, please contact info@aligningscience.com.
Sign up to receive updates about the IMPACT Network RFA. For inquiries about scientific priorities, eligibility requirements, and application submission, please contact grants@aligningscience.com.
"*" indicates required fields