SFARI’s chief scientist, Gerald Fischbach, provides an overview of what we know and what we need to learn about autism and related developmental disorders. We hope this article will serve as a valuable resource for experts in autism research and also as a helpful guide for those just entering the field.

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 number of autism risk factors converge on one cellular pathway: abnormal remodeling of the cell's structural systems through the signaling protein Rho, says SFARI’s associate director for research, Alan Packer.

Which grant applications should SFARI choose to fund each year? The principles that guide that decision are nuanced and evolve as new results emerge. But there are some clear general guidelines in place, says John Spiro, SFARI’s deputy scientific director.

New genetic variants that increase susceptibility to autism are emerging at a rapid pace. Given the profusion of data, it seems timely to assess the availability and usefulness of mouse models in which to study these genetic risk factors.

Dysregulation of the intracellular signaling pathway RAS, a risk factor for idiopathic autism, may provide a unifying theory of the disorder. Although this is not an altogether new hypothesis, several new findings have strengthened the evidence for it considerably.

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.

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.