Hi CAS,
I’ve received several RFP opportunities that may be of interest to you and/or faculty in your department. The full RFP details are in the links below, but for quick assessment:
William T. Grant Foundation – Research Grants on Improving the Use of Research Evidence
Focus
This program funds research studies that examine strategies to improve the use of research evidence in ways that benefit young people ages 5-25 in the United States. We seek proposals for studies that advance theory and build empirical knowledge on ways to improve the use of research evidence by policymakers, public agency leaders, organizational managers, intermediaries, community organizers, and other decision-makers that generally shape youth-serving systems in the United States.
We fund:
- Studies that build or test strategies to improve the use of existing research in policy or practice.
- Studies that test whether and how strategies that improve the use of research evidence in turn improve decision-making and youth outcomes.
Deadline: January 7, 2026
Funding range: $100,000 to $1,000,000 over 2-4 years
Next steps
Please work with both your Research Administrators and the Office of Foundation Relations for submission: Kristin Liszkowski, kristin.liszkowski@wsu.edu.
William T. Grant Foundation – Research Grants on Reducing Inequality
Focus
Research grants on reducing inequality fund research studies that examine programs, policies, or practices to reduce inequality in the academic, social, behavioral, or economic outcomes of young people ages 5–25 in the United States, along dimensions of race, ethnicity, economic standing, sexual or gender minority status (e.g., LGBTQ+ youth), language minority status, or immigrant origins.
We fund:
- Descriptive studies that describe, explore, or explain how programs, practices, or policies reduce inequality.
- Intervention studies that provide causal evidence on the effectiveness of programs or policies for reducing inequality.
Deadline: January 7, 2026
Funding range: $100,000 to $600,000 over 2-3 years
Next steps
Please work with both your Research Administrators and the Office of Foundation Relations for submission: Kristin Liszkowski, kristin.liszkowski@wsu.edu.
Simons Foundation – Fellows-to-Faculty Award Fellows-to-Faculty Award
Focus
The Fellows-to-Faculty Award program supports talented early career scientists by facilitating their transition into tenure-track faculty positions. The focus of this program is the $600,000 USD three-year faculty research grant. Additionally, fellows engage with a community of investigators and receive mentoring and peer support during their transition.
The Simons Foundation’s Autism & Neuroscience division offers the program to nurture new talent and to broaden the community of scientists contributing to the scientific missions of our programs. We drive innovation and collaboration by supporting scientists with a diverse mix of minds, backgrounds and experiences.
For the 2026 request for applications (RFA), we seek to support early career scientists whose scientific vision for their future independent laboratory contributes to the mission 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
Deadline: January 14, 2026
Funding range: $600,000
Next steps
Please work with both your Research Administrators and the Office of Foundation Relations for submission: Kristin Liszkowski, kristin.liszkowski@wsu.edu.
Autism Science Foundation – Profound Autism Pilot Grant or Pre-doctoral Fellowship
Focus
The Lancet Commission on the Future of Care and Clinical Research in Autism introduced the term “profound autism” and encouraged its use to describe autistic people who are at least 8 years old, minimally verbal or nonverbal, have IQ below 50, are not able to advocate for themselves, and will likely require 24‐hour access to an adult who can care for them for the rest of their lives.
Past research has established that individuals with autism exhibit a wide range of abilities and disabilities and that those with challenging or problematic behavior, minimal verbal ability, and/or intellectual disability are demonstrably underrepresented in research. Their exclusion prevents the generalizability of research discoveries and impedes understanding of the supports and interventions they require to live fulfilling lives. There is an immediate need for research to identify the specific and unique needs of individuals with profound autism.
While the Lancet definition does not specify the presence of severe, intense and dangerous behaviors, this RFA also includes research on severe and challenging behaviors including self-injury, aggression, pica, wandering and irritability, which are prevalent in those with profound autism.
The Autism Science Foundation invites applications for two related award mechanisms under this RFA:
1) Pilot Grants
To support one-year research projects focused on profound autism conducted by established investigators.
2) Pre-doctoral Fellowships
To support one-year, mentored training awards for graduate students focused on profound autism.
- Deadline: March 2, 2026
- Funding range: $35,000
Next steps
Please work with both your Research Administrators and the Office of Foundation Relations for submission: Tami LaFrance, tamara.lafrance@wsu.edu.