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This RFA sought proposals that aimed to comprehensively analyze the behavior of mouse models that have been generated with targeted genetic mutations based on strong human genetic evidence implicating them in autism spectrum disorders. The program prioritized a small number of mouse models including 16p11.2 chromosomal segment deletion, Cntnap2-/- and Shank3b-/-. To maximize the ability to make direct comparisons among mouse models, this request sought applications for systematic, rigorous and scalable analyses of behavioral phenotypes across multiple mouse models. Investigators were expected to test at least three genetic models in the same background strain (C57BL/6). In addition, investigators needed to analyze the behavior of one of the selected autism mouse models in a different genetic background, such as a hybrid background from two inbred strains. The data produced in this effort was made available to the research community.

Grants awarded through this request for applications (RFA) were intended to recharge and extend a consortium of researchers using rats as an experimental system to advance 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 this original 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. 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. ARC members have studied the behavior and neurophysiology underlying social interaction, sensory processing, navigation and learning and memory in these models, finding similarities across genes for some phenotypes as well as an interesting array of differences both across lines and within individuals of the same lines.

The goal of the Pilot Progression Award is to provide continuing support for projects initiated during SFARI Pilot awards that have advanced significantly and produced insights that justify an extension. This mechanism is intended for projects that generated promising preliminary data during their initial Pilot funding and remain relevant to autism spectrum disorders research but may not yet be suited for funding from other sources like NIH. The Pilot Progression Award is not meant to provide additional time and budget to support the completion of original Pilot aims, but instead to support extensions or expansions of these projects, such as expanding the number of genetic models studied, moving to the next logical level of mechanistic understanding, or broadening experiments to include additional behaviors or brain regions. Applicants are encouraged to provide evidence of attempts to obtain funding for proposed work from other sources. Applications will be reviewed first by the SFARI science team, and then a subset will be peer-reviewed by an external review panel.