Wellcome Leap has issued a request for applications for its Foundations of a Resilient Microbiome (FORM) program. This program seeks to identify whether an accumulating set of early-life pressures to the developing gut microbiome is one contributing factor to the rise in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and further, whether resilience to functional disruption can be measured and supported in key developmental windows as a pathway towards reducing the number of children who could go on to experience severe autism-related difficulties.
Wellcome Leap is soliciting abstracts and proposals for work over three years in one or more of the following areas:
- Identify the proportion of children experiencing ASD attributable to gut microbiome dysfunction, with >90% balanced accuracy, and identify what combination(s) of early life pressures (and when) drive the specific microbiome dysfunction influencing neurodevelopment.
- Develop objective and scalable methods to: 1) screen the functional contribution of the maternal and infant gut microbiome to infant neurodevelopment to predict cognitive, language, social and executive function challenges, aiming for >70% accuracy; and 2) diagnose a gut microbiome-based functional disorder or disorders predictive of severe autism-related difficulties with >90% accuracy. These performance metrics are comparable to existing early ASD screens like M-CHAT, and sufficient to trigger referral for formal diagnosis, with the clinical grade accuracies expected for a diagnostic test for ASD and other metabolic disorders that result in neurodevelopmental challenges.
- Pair diagnostic tests with strategies to protect, preserve and restore gut microbiome functions and resilience — in pregnancy and infancy — aiming for >80% effectiveness to support healthy neurodevelopment. Test whether this can meet the requirements of a solution with the potential to reduce the number of new cases of severe autism-related difficulties by 75%.
Award sizes will vary based on the scope and requirements of the selected proposals. Collectively, all performer budgets will comprise the program’s total funding of up to $50 million. Award amounts are dependent on specific proposals and work selected for funding.
To Apply:
- This is an open RFP (UCSF may submit an unlimited number of applications).
- Please email [email protected] to announce your intention to apply, then follow application instructions in RFP, conferring with your Grants Officer as needed. Please notify your Grants Officer of your intention to apply as soon as possible to ensure that they will have enough time to support your application.
- Deadline for 7-page abstract is November 14, 2025. If you are invited to submit a full proposal, the deadline will be December 29, 2025.
For more information and to review complete application instructions and eligibility requirements, please visit https://wellcomeleap.org/FORM/.