Autism Research - $ (varies)

The Simons Foundation - Grants awarded through this request for applications are intended to recharge and extend a consortium of researchers using rats as an experimental system to advance our understanding of the behavioral and circuit neuroscience mechanisms underlying autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD).

SFARI launched the Autism Rat Models Consortium (ARC) in 2022 with a group of researchers funded through the original Autism Rat Models Consortium RFA. These researchers are using rats generated with SFARI funding that carry mutations in high-confidence genes that in humans significantly increase the likelihood of developing autism and related NDD. These genes include FMR1, ARID1B, CHD8, CNTNAP2, DYRK1A, NRXN1, SCN2A and GRIN2B, and all lines are on the Long-Evans outbred genetic background (Charles River Laboratories). As part of the consortium, these same rat models are being evaluated through a comprehensive behavioral phenotyping pipeline established by the Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain (SIDB). Access to these models, as well the resulting data from the SIDB pipeline, are available to any qualified researcher.

Due: March 5, 2025