SFARI

SFARI is pleased to announce that it has awarded five grants in response to the Whole-Genome Analysis for Autism Risk Variants request for applications. We are also announcing plans for the release of whole-genome sequencing data from the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) for analysis by the entire research community.

Plans are underway to perform whole-genome sequencing of the entire Simons Simplex Collection (SSC). Genomes from 553 families (2,174 genomes) have been sequenced and are available to approved researchers with no publication embargo restrictions. An additional 619 families (2,476 genomes) are currently being sequenced and are expected to be available in the fall of 2016. A four-month publication embargo will apply to that batch of samples. Sequencing of the entire collection is expected to be completed by late 2017.

Today, we’re announcing our annual request for applications (RFA) for SFARI Pilot and Research Awards. Letters of intent (LOIs), the short statements that precede full applications, are due no later than 9 October, 2015. As we do every year, we’ve updated this column to provide a better picture of how the SFARI science team makes decisions on research proposals.

Today, we’re announcing a new request for applications. Letters of intent, the short statements that precede full applications, are due no later than 11 October. It seems timely, therefore, to describe how we make decisions on research proposals.

A study on a SHANK3 mutation highlights the danger in using research tools to inform decision-making in the doctor’s office. This sort of concern is one of the reasons for SFARI Gene’s new efforts to develop criteria for evaluating the strength of autism gene candidates, and presenting this information to the broader community.

On 2 September, we plan to announce a new request for applications. Letters of intent, the short statements that precede full applications, are due no later than 10 October. It seems timely, therefore, to describe how we make decisions on research proposals.

In November, the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) launched a request for applications, calling for letters of intent from individuals who will conduct bold, imaginative and rigorous research relevant to our mission. Applicants received notice in late February indicating whether they should submit a full application. Here, John Spiro, SFARI’s senior associate director for research, attempts to demystify the grant-making process — and give readers a behind-the-scenes look at how SFARI’s science team makes decisions.

Grants awarded through this RFA were intended to provide support for the investigation of key unresolved research questions in autism, particularly those that connect etiology to brain function and behavior. SFARI welcomed risk and novelty in Research Award proposals, but potential impact on the autism research field was the most important criterion. Competitive applications had preliminary data or other relevant groundwork that justifies substantial investment on the proposed topic.