DOD, Autism Research Program, Idea Development Award

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The FY22 ARP Idea Development Award supports the development of innovative, high-risk/high-reward research that could lead to critical discoveries or major advancements that will accelerate progress in improving outcomes for individuals with ASD. Applications are strongly encouraged to address one of the FY22 ARP Career Development Award Areas of Interest or provide justification that the proposed research addresses a critical problem, question, or need in ASD. This award mechanism is designed to support innovative ideas with the potential to yield impactful data and new avenues of investigation. Important aspects of the FY22 ARP Idea Development Award are as follows: • Impact: The proposed research is expected to make an important and original contribution to advancing the understanding of ASD and ultimately lead to improved outcomes for individuals with ASD and their families/caregivers. The project’s impact on both ASD research and ASD care should be articulated even if clinical impact is not an immediate outcome. A statistical plan is an important aspect of the FY22 ARP Idea Development Award to demonstrate the significance of any research outcomes or findings. • Innovation: Research deemed innovative may represent a new paradigm, challenge existing paradigms, look at existing problems from new perspectives, or exhibit other highly creative qualities. Research may be innovative in study concept, research methods or technology, or adaptations of existing methods or technologies. Research that represents an incremental advance on previously published work is not considered innovative. • Personnel: Personnel are considered a crucial element of the FY22 ARP Idea Development Award. The study team should have experience in ASD research. Inclusion of a biostatistician in the study team is encouraged. • Research must be based on preliminary data: Although the proposed research must have direct relevance to ASD, the required preliminary data, which may include unpublished results from the laboratory of the Principal Investigators (PIs), research team, or collaborators named on the application, may be from outside the ASD research field. Research should also be based on a sound scientific rationale that is established through logical reasoning and critical review and analysis of the literature. Partnering PI Option: The FY22 ARP supports collaborative research to bring a new perspective to ASD research and/or facilitate progress in the field by combined efforts. Therefore, the ARP Idea Development Award mechanism includes a Partnering PI Option, which is structured so that two investigators, each of whom will be designated as a PI and receive a separate award, will work synergistically on a single project. One PI will be identified as the Initiating PI and will be responsible for the majority of the administrative tasks associated with application submission. The other PI will be identified as a Partnering PI. Both PIs should collaborate to develop a synergistic project addressing one or more of the FY22 ARP Idea Development Award Areas of Interest or another critical problem, question, or need in ASD. Applications submitted by a mentor and trainee as Initiating PI and Partnering PI do not meet the intent of the Partnering PI Option. Multidisciplinary and multi-organizational projects are allowed.

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