Simons Foundation

About the Simons Foundation

Established in 1994, the Simons Foundation is a private foundation based in New York City. With assets of $5 billion and annual grants of approximately $180 million, the foundation is dedicated to advancing the frontiers of research in basic science and mathematics.

About SFARI

Launched in 2005, the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) is a discrete scientific research program within the Simons Foundation's overall suite of programs. Although the foundation's mission is to advance the frontiers of research in the basic sciences and mathematics, SFARI is the foundation's only program whose scope is tightly focused on the science underlying just one medical condition.

SFARI's immediate priority is to drive research that benefits individuals challenged by autism spectrum disorders, but its research programs are expected to yield insights into the neural mechanisms of fundamental human capabilities, thereby complementing the foundation's work in other basic sciences.