DoW Autism Clinical Trial Award
Funds clinical trials to test promising autism treatments, devices, clinical guidance, or emerging approaches for improved treatment or management of autism, including pilot through large efficacy studies, for eligible applicants that include required community collaboration.
⚑ Community collaboration with at least one community partner is required. · Strongly encouraged to address one of the FY26 ARP Clinical Trial Award Areas of Interest. · Partnering PI option for early-career investigators. · Award ceiling listed as $0 in the notice; verify funding structure in full announcement.
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 70 strong | technical depth: substantial; funds applied research |
| IPPRA | 58 good | peripheral portfolio topic: public_health; signature methods: community engaged; social/behavioral work is substantial; funds applied research; biomedical core — IPPRA health lane is communication/crisis/policy (capped); clinical-trial/biomedical core — IPPRA angle is policy/community (capped) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 30 weak | funds applied research; deep-tech content |
Description
Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Autism Research Program (ARP) Clinical Trial Award supports the rapid implementation of clinical trials with the potential to have a significant impact on the treatment or management of autism. Clinical trials may be designed to evaluate promising new products, pharmacologic agents (drugs or biologics), devices, clinical guidance and/or emerging approaches and technologies. Proposed projects may range from small proof-of-concept trials (e.g., pilot, first-in-human, phase 0) to demonstrate the feasibility or inform the design of more advanced trials through large-scale trials to determine efficacy in relevant patient populations.
Distinctive Features:
Applications are strongly encouraged to address one of the FY26 ARP Clinical Trial Award Areas of Interest.
Partnering Principal Investigator (PI) Option for Early-Career Investigator: The FY26 Clinical Trial Award mechanism is offering a higher level of funding for applications that propose to partner an experienced PI (i.e., Initiating PI) with an Early-Career Investigator (i.e., Partnering PI) wishing to pursue a career in autism clinical trial research.
FY26 Clinical Trial Award submissions are required to include community collaborations to optimize research impact. Research teams are therefore required to establish and utilize effective and equitable collaborations and partnerships with community members to maximize the translational and impact potential of the proposed research. Applications to the FY26 ARP Clinical Trial Award are expected to name at least one community partner (e.g., Autistic individual or caregiver, representatives of community-based organizations) who will provide advice and consultation throughout the planning and implementation of the research project. Interactions with other team members should be well integrated and ongoing, not limited to attending seminars and semi-annual meetings (see Attachment 12, Community Collaboration Plan).
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: JoAnn Martin Grantor <help@eBRAP.org>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · Department of Defense (BAA-style) conventions SEE A DOD EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — Department of Defense (BAA-style)'s document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.