Updated February 27, 2020

Over the years, the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) has made contributions to selected Gordon Research Conferences (GRCs) with the aim of helping to defray the travel and/or conference costs for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, trainees and other scientists attending these conferences.

As part of SFARI’s efforts to encourage diversity and inclusion at scientific meetings and in autism research, SFARI will now require that GRCs organizers allocate all SFARI-donated funds to support attendance specifically of early career (pre-tenure) women, early career trainees from historically underrepresented groups, and scientists from the following ethnic and racial groups: Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.

“We hope that, by lowering barriers to conferences attendance, SFARI support will promote opportunities for scientific growth and collaborations that can help build a more inclusive research community and advance the field,” says SFARI director Louis Reichardt.

SFARI supports GRCs that are focused on topics of relevance to the study of autism spectrum disorder. These may include but are not limited to genetics, molecular mechanisms, brain circuits, systems and behavior, as well as novel technological advances in neuroscience. GRCs may be organized and/or attended by SFARI Investigators and provide unique opportunities to network with leaders in autism research and learn more about the latest findings in the field.

Eligible researchers who are planning to attend SFARI-supported GRCs this year are encouraged to contact the conference chairs to inquire about funding availability.

In 2020, GRCs for which SFARI funds may be available include:

Thalamic circuits for perception, cognition and action
Ventura, California, United States
February 16–21, 2020

Functions of the basal ganglia from thought to action
Ventura, California, United States
March 8–13, 2020

Systems neuroscience and genetic approaches to study sleep regulation and function
Ventura, California, United States
May 10–15, 2020

Novel technologies to advance discovery of disease mechanisms and therapeutics for fragile X and autism
Lucca (Barga), Italy
May 31–June 5, 2020

Context-specific synaptic function
Lucca (Barga), Italy
June 21–26, 2020

Emerging technologies to study nervous system development, function and neurological disease
Ventura, California, United States
July 5–10, 2020

Circuits and specializations for behavioral interactions in acoustic communication
Newry, Maine, United States
July 19–24, 2020

Linking brain circuits to behavior: Novel methods and biological insights derived from optogenetic approaches
Newry, Maine, United States
July 19–24, 2020

Neural circuits, dynamics and computations of cognition and behavior
Newry, Maine, United States
July 26–31, 2020

Building the nervous system: Insights from development, evolution and disease
Newport, Rhode Island, United States
August 9–14, 2020

Molecular and network complexity in the epileptic brain
Castelldefels, Spain
August 16–21, 2020