The ARP Pilot Award supports conceptually innovative, high-risk/high-reward research that could ultimately lead to critical discoveries or major advancements that will drive the field of ASD forward. Research projects should include a testable hypothesis based on a strong scientific rationale. This award is not intended to support the continuation of existing studies or the next logical extension and/or incremental step. The Pilot Award is designed to support innovative ideas with the potential to yield impactful data and new avenues of investigation. The existence of preliminary data suggests that the proposed research does not meet the intent of this award mechanism. Therefore, preliminary data are not allowed. The strength of the application should be based on sound scientific rationale and logical reasoning.