SFARI is pleased to announce that it intends to fund 36 grants (15 Pilot Awards and 21 Research Awards) in response to the 2018 Pilot and Research Awards request for applications.

SFARI held its thirteenth science meeting April 8–12, 2018. SFARI investigators, collaborators and foundation staff came together to discuss recent findings in autism genetics, molecular and system-level mechanisms, and clinical studies. In addition to keynote and session presentations, two panels convened investigators to discuss the current state of autism genetics research and the biology of SCN2A, a high-confidence autism risk gene.

New data were added to SFARI Gene in August 2018. This data release included updated gene scores for candidate autism risk genes, as well as the addition of new genes and copy number variant loci associated with autism. New mouse, rat, zebrafish and Drosophila models were also added.

This issue of the SFARI newsletter includes: (1) Winter 2019 Pilot Awards – Request for applications, (2) SFARI scientific perspectives, (3) SFARI RFA reboot: Why, what and how, (4) Drosophila and zebrafish models added to SFARI Gene, (5) SFARI Investigators elected to the National Academy of Sciences, (6) Workshop highlights online platforms for visualizing and exploring SFARI genomics data, (7) Genomic analysis for autism risk variants in SPARK – Request for applications, (8) 2018 Bridge to Independence Award – Request for applications, (9) Past lecture: Matthew State, “Autism genetics: Where have we been and where are we going?”, (10) Past lecture: Jennifer A. Doudna, “CRISPR systems: Editing the code of life”.

SFARI is now accepting applications for the Winter 2019 Pilot Award RFA. This award is especially suited for proposals with exploratory ideas and novel hypotheses for autism.

In this blog post, the SFARI science team provides insight into why SFARI’s request for applications grant programs are being revamped, which award types are being changed and how the new changes will be implemented.

On April 10, 2018, SFARI held a workshop to discuss online platforms for visualizing and analyzing SFARI genomics data. These platforms included the Genotypes and Phenotypes in Families web interface, created by SFARI Investigator Ivan Iossifov’s team, and Hub.iobio, which is currently being developed by Frameshift.

The animal models module of SFARI Gene has recently been expanded to include two new species: Drosophila melanogaster and Danio rerio. As of now, the database lists 55 genes for Drosophila models and 24 genes for zebrafish models, in addition to several models induced by biological or chemical agents.

SFARI Investigators will be giving a number of presentations at the 11th FENS Forum of Neuroscience in Berlin, Germany (July 7-11).