Autism BrainNet is pleased to announce the release of genetic data for 27 new brain samples. The data release brings the total number of brain samples with available genetic data to 273.

SFARI is pleased to announce it will fund five projects investigating the influence of autism-associated risk genes on early neurodevelopment and links to later circuit-level functional outcomes. These awards will provide up to $3.6 million over 4 years to each team of researchers.

Social behavior is a complex and dynamic process shaped by movement, coordination and physical touch. A new study in Cell written by members of SFARI's Autism Rat Consortium introduces s-DANNCE, a machine-learning system that can map the fine-scale movements of freely interacting rats in three dimensions. By applying s-DANNCE to seven genetic rat models of autism, researchers have uncovered distinct social phenotypes, offering new insights into the diversity of autism-related behaviors.

On January 27–28, the Simons Foundation held the third annual meeting of the SFARI Sex Differences Collaboration (SSDC). Formed in 2021, this collaboration seeks to understand the male bias in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which could provide important clues to ASD’s etiology.

The Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) is pleased to announce the funding of 23 projects as part of its 2024 Pilot and Pilot Progression awards. Awards from the 2024 cycle will provide over $9 million in total funding to 18 Pilot awards and 5 Pilot Progression awards.

The Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) is pleased to announce the release of data collected from its Simons Sleep Project (SSP), a study aimed at accelerating research into sleep and daily behaviors in individuals with autism. The SSP engaged more than 100 adolescent participants with autism and their non-affected siblings and collected more than 3,000 nights’ worth of data.

The Simons Foundation is now accepting applications from undergraduate students to participate in its Shenoy Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Neuroscience (SURFiN) program for the 2025–2026 academic year. This program aims to spark and sustain interest in neuroscience among undergraduate students who have not had access to research opportunities.

On September 18, 2024, the SFARI Autism Rat Consortium (ARC) held its annual meeting in the Usher Institute of the University of Edinburgh. This year’s event brought together ARC PIs and trainees who specialize in the use of rat models.

The Simons Foundation’s Autism & Neuroscience division recognizes the need for diverse ideas and perspectives that contribute to the scientific enterprise. To advance that goal, the foundation’s Fellows-to-Faculty Award program supports talented early career scientists and their research vision as they transition into tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions. This award is a new iteration of the previously offered Simons Foundation Independence Award.

The Simons Foundation is pleased to announce the newest recipients of its Shenoy Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Neuroscience (SURFiN). The 75 talented undergraduates will gain hands-on research experience and contribute to neuroscience research.