Sponsor

Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI)

For More Information

For additional information, please visit the SFARI RFA websites [1]for

• Program guidelines
• Application forms
• Evaluation criteria

SFARI will hold an informational Zoom meeting about this RFA on July 26, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. EDT. Interested applicants can register on the registration page [2].

Description

Grants supported through this Request for Applications (RFA )are intended to support a consortium of investigators to collaboratively use SFARI autism rat models [3] to examine the biological basis of complex behaviors and the underlying neural circuits relevant for autism.

SFARI is interested in the diversity of relevant functional domains—from sensorimotor, to cognitive, to social/affective functioning. Regardless of the domain(s) of focus, the overarching framework should consider linking hypotheses from genes to behavior. Proposals may include specific experiments to address whether reported cellular mechanisms/phenotypes in other model systems are conserved in the rat in order to facilitate interpretation of observed phenotypes at the systems and behavioral levels. However, the majority of the grant application should focus on the analysis of behavior and/or systems-level circuit dynamics in SFARI rat models [3].

Investigators funded through this RFA are expected to work collaboratively as a research consortium. This includes actively contributing to the intellectual pursuits of the consortium and adhering to an open-science ethos by sharing data among members throughout the grant period.

SFARI will hold an informational Zoom meeting about this RFA on July 26, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. EDT. Interested applicants can register on the registration page [2].

Eligibility

All applicants and key collaborators must hold a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent degree and have a faculty position or the equivalent at a college, university, medical school or other research facility.

SFARI encourages the inclusion of researchers who span career stages and groups historically underrepresented in science.

Applications may be submitted by domestic and foreign nonprofit organizations; public and private institutions, such as colleges, universities, hospitals, laboratories and units of state and local government; and eligible agencies of the federal government. There are no citizenship or country requirements.

Maximum Project Value

maximum of $300,000 USD inclusive of indirect costs per year

Indirect Costs

20% USD

Project Duration

2 to 3 years

Special Notes

Please note that research activities carried out in the context of COVID-19 need to adhere to the University of Guelph COVID-19 research principles, policies, guidelines and processes as they may be updated from time to time and communicated on the Office of Research web-page [4].