SPARK Research Match Studies

SPARK Research Match Studies is sponsored by Simons Foundation Inc.. Autism researchers conducting U. S.

-based studies that prioritize undersampled groups can receive up to US $10,000 in participant incentive funding for online or remote projects.

SFARI | SPARK Research Match Expansion — Request for Applications You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience. Maximum in per-person incentive funding (e-gift cards).

Funding may only be used for incentives for participants from the undersampled group. $10,000 Deadlines for submitting applications on SFARI Base Decisions regarding applications February 15, 2026 (applications received between October 1 - December 31) May 15, 2026 (applications received between January 1 - March 31) Maximum in per-person incentive funding (e-gift cards).

Funding may only be used for incentives for participants from the undersampled group. $10,000 Deadlines for submitting applications on SFARI Base Decisions regarding applications February 15, 2026 (applications received between October 1 - December 31) May 15, 2026 (applications received between January 1 - March 31) For questions regarding Research Match or about SFARI Base: Maximum in per-person incentive funding (e-gift cards).

Funding may only be used for incentives for participants from the undersampled group. $10,000 Deadlines for submitting applications on SFARI Base Decisions regarding applications February 15, 2026 (applications received between October 1 - December 31) May 15, 2026 (applications received between January 1 - March 31) For questions regarding Research Match or about SFARI Base: What Are SFARI and SPARK?

Launched in 2006, SFARI is a scientific initiative within the Simons Foundation’s suite of programs. SFARI’s mission is to advance the basic science of autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions. SPARK (Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research for Knowledge) is the world’s largest research study on autism.

SPARK’s goal is to accelerate autism research and discovery by building an online research community of thousands of individuals with ASD and their family members. Participation in SPARK is simple, free and open to any individual living in the United States with a professional diagnosis of ASD. SPARK participants consent to be contacted about other research opportunities in the future through SPARK Research Match .

The SPARK Research Match Expansion request for applications (RFA) encourages and supports applications for SPARK Research Match studies from principal investigators to increase SPARK research opportunities to individuals whose genetic ancestries have been undersampled in clinical research. This will ensure that these research efforts better reflect the demographics of the United States.

Large segments of the U.S. population are less able to benefit from new clinical knowledge because they are undersampled in clinical research studies. The SPARK Research Match Expansion request for applications (RFA) aims to increase research participation by soliciting studies on autism that recruit participants from undersampled groups.

Proposals may be on any topic related to autism provided that: The study protocol prioritizes participation of undersampled group(s). The study topic is clearly of interest, impact, and/or importance to the undersampled group(s). Applications should provide a clear justification regarding the topic’s importance (see How To Apply section for details).

Funding will provide per-person participant incentive (e-gift cards) for participation in online surveys or remote projects (e.g., phone interview, focus group, telehealth) that utilize SPARK Research Match to recruit participants into new research studies. Funding may ONLY be used for incentives for participants in the undersampled group.

Funds will not be transferred directly to the institution but rather will be provided as part of the workflow built for the project. For example, for an online survey study, SPARK Research Match would build the surveys into an online workflow, and after completion, participants would receive an e-gift card. Data would be distributed to the investigator and, later, shared back with SFARI.

Investigators may apply for $10,000 in per-person incentive funding per study. SPARK Research Match is a platform provided in kind by SFARI that aims to expedite research and scientific discovery by linking interested Investigators with SPARK participants. Since launching in 2017, Research Match has helped connect over 66,000 SPARK participants with researchers conducting new research studies.

Approved Investigators work with SPARK’s dedicated Research Match team to finalize study materials, build the online research components, if applicable (i.e., surveys), and invite eligible participants. The Research Match team monitors the research, which may involve sharing authorized participant contact information with the study research team, collecting data for researcher surveys and/or performing data linkages to SPARK data.

Investigators are required to share their Research Match data back with SPARK, and in this way the SPARK database is enhanced over time for future research. The Research Match team also works with Investigators and the SPARK communications team to develop lay-friendly summaries of completed, published research, which are sent directly to study participants and posted on the Discover SPARK webpage for the SPARK community.

For more information about SPARK Research Match, please review SPARK Recruitment Process Document . Maximum in per-person incentive funding (e-gift cards). Funding may only be used for incentives for participants from the undersampled group.

$10,000 Deadlines for submitting applications on SFARI Base Decisions regarding applications February 15, 2026 (applications received between October 1 - December 31) May 15, 2026 (applications received between January 1 - March 31) For questions regarding Research Match or about SFARI Base: Application and Review Process Applications must be submitted through SFARI Base . See ‘Instructions for Submission’ below.

Applications should include the following material: Research application — questions include title, abstract, funding source, proposal summary, surveys (if applicable), inclusion and exclusion criteria, sample size and justification, and information about incentive (if applicable); Documentation of IRB approval; Proposal, consent form, and additional documentation (e.g., recruitment materials, summary report templates); Information about previous efforts to increase ancestral representation in clinical studies, collaborations with stakeholders from groups that have been undersampled, or any other information that would demonstrate the applicant’s commitment to issues of importance to the undersampled community being recruited (1–2 pages); Rationale for how the research study will make Research Match more representative of the demographics of the United States and why the research topic is of high impact, importance, and/or relevance for one or more undersampled groups (1 page).

Applications will be reviewed on the basis of alignment with SPARK’s mission to advance our understanding of autism, potential to engage participants, benefit to participants, scientific merit, and relevance to this RFA.

Researchers should include information (e.g., as an attached document) about previous work in increasing representation in research, providing documentation about relationships with organizations and/or groups engaging with the undersampled community, or any information about consultation or other work with stakeholders from groups that have been undersampled that helped to inform the development of the research study.

Instructions for Submission Applications must be submitted through SFARI Base . On SFARI Base, follow these steps: Create an account to request SPARK resources including access to Research Match. Submit project information and an IRB approval letter.

Place a request for Research Match with the SPARK cohort by completing the application. Please include a sentence in the additional information section of the application that you are applying for the SPARK Research Match Expansion RFA. You will receive a confirmation email when your request is successfully submitted.

Please note that, if not already completed, your institution must have an executed Research Distribution Agreement (RDA) with the Simons Foundation before you will be able to access any datasets or launch your Research Match project. The RDA execution process will be initiated upon approval of your first resource request. Details about SFARI Base and the RDA can be found here .

For questions about SFARI Base or the application process, please contact [email protected] . For more details on the research match process, please refer to the SPARK Recruitment Process Document . $10,000 total in per-person incentive funding (e-gift cards).

Applications are reviewed quarterly. Please see below the next quarterly deadlines. Applications received between April 1 and June 30, 2025 will be reviewed in July 2025.

Decisions will be communicated by August 15, 2025. Applications received between July 1 and September 30, 2025 will be reviewed in October 2025. Decisions will be communicated by November 15, 2025.

If the RFA is extended to additional quarters, more information and new dates will be posted. For questions regarding Research Match or technical questions about SFARI Base, please contact [email protected] . Maximum in per-person incentive funding (e-gift cards).

Funding may only be used for incentives for participants from the undersampled group.

$10,000 Deadlines for submitting applications on SFARI Base Decisions regarding applications February 15, 2026 (applications received between October 1 - December 31) May 15, 2026 (applications received between January 1 - March 31) For questions regarding Research Match or about SFARI Base: News SFARI announces recipients of SPARK Research Match DEI initiative February 28, 2022