Zebrafish lines for autism risk genes DYNC1H1 and MEF2C have been recently added to SFARI resources to study autism spectrum disorder.

SFARI is pleased to announce the 2021 Bridge to Independence (BTI) Award request for applications. The BTI Award program engages talented early-career scientists in autism research by facilitating their transition to research independence and providing grant funding at the start of their professorships at a U.S. or Canadian research institution.

Louis Reichardt, who has served as director of SFARI since 2013, finished his tenure here on September 28. John Spiro has been appointed interim director of SFARI until a new director is appointed.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SFARI replaced the in-person spring 2020 science meeting that was scheduled April 5–7 with a series of seven weekly webinars held between April 17 and May 29.

SFARI is pleased to announce that eight genetic rat models of autism spectrum disorder are now available from the Medical College of Wisconsin. These models are being maintained in the outbred Long-Evans background strain and are being behaviorally phenotyped through a partnership with the Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain.

SFARI is pleased to announce that it has selected three fellows in response to the 2020 Bridge to Independence Award request for applications.

SFARI is pleased to announce that it intends to fund eight grants in response to the 2020 Research Award request for applications.

SFARI would like to remind researchers that they can still request many SFARI resources, including genetic and phenotypic data as well as biospecimens, at this time. Researchers can also submit applications to recruit individuals with autism and their families for new research studies.

SFARI Investigators will be giving a number of presentations as part of the 12th FENS Forum of Neuroscience. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the forum will be held virtually this year, with live and prerecorded sessions available to conference registrants July 11–15.

The International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) 2020 Annual Meeting to be held May 2020 was canceled, but virtual content is now available online. A selection of abstracts and e-Posters by SFARI Investigators, SFARI staff and collaborators are highlighted here.