Applications

Lionheart Academy of the Triad School Logo. ASCEND – the Assistive & Supportive Center for Empowerment, Neurodiversity & Development — officially launched this month on the campus of BrightStone in Franklin, and we are thrilled to announce that our second chapter is opening shortly in Greensboro, NC, at… Read More

And this year promises to be bigger than ever! The conference will again be held at Langford Auditorium on the Vanderbilt University Campus between October 13th – 15th, 2026, and is a cooperative event between the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation and Janus Innovation Hub. ​ Following the… Read More

ASCEND – the Assistive & Supportive Center for Empowerment, Neurodiversity & Development — officially launched this week on the campus of BrightStone in Franklin and will bring together leaders in research, technology, and community services, with self-advocates and civic stakeholders from the community. Our first ASCEND chapter is… Read More

Thank you to the wonderful Dr. Nigel Newbutt, FCAI Affiliate from University of Florida, for sharing this opportunity! Applications are now open for PATHS Cohort 2, an 8-week program designed to prepare autistic talent for careers in the semiconductor industry. This program, co-designed with autistic personnel, is created specifically… Read More

During National Security Week, Vanderbilt University convened leaders from government, academia, and industry to examine how neurodivergent talent can strengthen national security and how workforce systems can better identify, recruit, and support cognitive diversity. The workshop was held in conjunction with the 2026 Asness Summit on Modern Conflict… Read More

On May 19, three Frist Center for Autism and Innovation (FCAI) staff members will speak at Neurotech Frontiers Summit 2026: Where Innovation Meets Neurodiversity, a one-day event bringing together innovators, researchers, founders, clinicians, and advocates working at the intersection of emerging technology and neurodiversity. This convening builds on our October… Read More

Headshots for Peabody College/Vanderbilt .UniversityPhotos by Joe Howell FCAI’s Salon Series continues this month with The Educational Experience of Autistic Girls with Dr. Brittney Goscicki. This session will explore what research and practice can teach us about supporting autistic girls in education, with attention to the ways gender and… Read More

The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation is excited to share that The Neurodiversity Alliance has opened applications for their paid internship program for the 2026-2027 academic year. Applications opened on February 15, 2026, and we encourage students and alumni in the neurodiversity community to apply. The… Read More

The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation is thrilled to congratulate our internal partner, Neurodiverse Technologies, along with co-founders Jan Schlueter and Principal Investigator Dr. Nilanjan Sarkar, on receiving a $70,000 award through Vanderbilt’s Innovation Catalyst Fund. This significant funding will advance NAVIS (Advancement of Neurodivergent-Aware… Read More

The Frist Center is excited to announce applications are now open for our Autism Summer Internship Program. The program is open to undergraduate students who identify as neurodiverse (either through formal or self-diagnosis). Through this internship, successful applicants will undergo a STEM project with a faculty mentor, under the… Read More