Funding agency: Autism Science Foundation
Meghan Wendelken
10/22/19
- Objectives/Funding priorities:
- Support autism research by funding scientists and organizations conducting, facilitating, publicizing, and disseminating autism research.
- Provide information to the public to increase awareness of autism spectrum disorders and the needs of individuals and families affected by autism
- Fund research in accordance with Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee’s (IACC) Strategic Plan for Autism Research
- Mission principles:
- “Autism is known to have a strong genetic component. Research must aim to discover the mechanisms of action that trigger autism, as well as safe, effective and novel treatments to enhance the quality of life for children and adults currently affected.”
- “Early diagnosis and early intervention are critical to helping people with autism reach their potential, but educational, vocational and support services must be applied across the lifespan. Science has a critical role to play in creating evidence-based, effective lifespan interventions.”
- “Vaccines save lives; they do not cause autism. Numerous studies have failed to show a causal link between vaccines and autism. Vaccine safety research should continue to be conducted by the public health system in order to ensure vaccine safety and maintain confidence in our national vaccine program, but further investment of limited autism research dollars is not warranted at this time.”
- Types of grants funded:
- Fellowship: Pre- and Postdoctoral Training Awards and Medical Student Gap Year Research Training Awards
- Eligibility: graduate students, medical students, and postdoctoral fellows interested in pursuing careers in basic and clinical research relevant to autism spectrum disorders
- Predoctoral: students in good standing enrolled in a program to acquire a research doctorate (i.e. Ph.D. or Sc.D.) or a dual degree such as M.D./Ph.D. in an academic department at an accredited university or health/medical institution
- Medical School Gap Year Research Training: enrolled at an accredited university medical school
- Postdoctoral: completed their doctoral or medical degree and have been accepted as a postdoctoral fellow in good standing in a program
- Level of funding:
- Pre-doctoral and medical students: $25,000
- Post-doctoral students: $35,000
- These funds may not be used to cover tuition or indirect university costs
- Eligibility: graduate students, medical students, and postdoctoral fellows interested in pursuing careers in basic and clinical research relevant to autism spectrum disorders
- Research Accelerator Grant
- Eligibility: Recipients of an already active autism grant – not meant to provide funds for an entire research study
- Level of funding:
- Grants of up to $5000 are available to enhance, expand and enrich grants currently funded by other sources (including ASF). Staff salary may be covered by this award. All projects must have prior IRB approval. No portion of these funds shall be used to cover indirect university costs.
- Undergraduate Summer Research Grant
- Eligibility: currently enrolled as an undergraduate in a good standing program leading to a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. The summer research is allowed to take place at a university where the student is not rolled as an undergraduate.
- Level of funding:
- Awards of $3,000 made directly to the university sponsoring the research
- $2500 must be paid directly to the student as a stipend
- $500 used for lab expenses and indirect university costs
- May not be used to cover tuition payments
- Fellowship: Pre- and Postdoctoral Training Awards and Medical Student Gap Year Research Training Awards
- Deadlines: vary for each type of grant; see link to instructions for more details
- Links:
- Website: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/
- Funding calendar: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/what-we-fund/funding-calendar/
- Application and Guides:
- Pre- and Postdoctoral Training Awards and Medical Student Gap Year Research Training Awards
- General Instructions: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/what-we-fund/apply-for-a-fellowship/
- RFA: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2020-RFA-Pre-Post-Doc-Training-Grant.pdf
- Research Accelerator Grant
- General Instructions: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/what-we-fund/apply-for-a-research-accelerator-grant/
- RFA:https://autismsciencefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/RFA-AcceleratorGrants-2019.pdf
- Undergraduate Summer Research Grant
- General Instructions: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/what-we-fund/apply-for-an-undergraduate-summer-research-grant/
- RFA: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/2019-RFA-Undergrad-Summer-Research-1.pdf
- Pre- and Postdoctoral Training Awards and Medical Student Gap Year Research Training Awards
- Examples of funded grants: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/what-we-fund/asf-funded-research/2018-grantees/
- Postdoctoral Fellowship:
- Title: “Examining brain function during critical periods of development in ASD”
- Description/Summary: “There are particular periods in brain development that are more critical to the development of autism spectrum disorders. These critical periods represent times when the brain is particularly plastic. In order to understand these critical periods in neurodevelopmental disorders, Dr. Gabard-Durnam will analyze measures of brain activity and function at multiple times across development in children with autism and Rett Syndrome, and compare them to brainwave activity measurements from those who are typically-developing. This includes periods of regression in girls with Rett syndrome. This research will help inform the timing and biological targets for effective interventions and improve the quality of life for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and ASD.”
- Predoctoral Fellowship:
- Title: “Explaining how the ASD brain works during social interactions”
- Description/Summary: “Youth with autism interpret, understand, and respond to the world differently than adults. This is especially evident in social situations when people are presented with various social cues. This project will look at brain activity before, during, and after the presentation of different social cues to better understand how and why the brains of people with autism work differently. The goal is to help clinicians understand how small differences in the way a person’s brain responds to social interaction could contribute to large differences in the way they interact with other people. Additionally, identifying the specific stages at which individuals with ASD demonstrate differences in social information processing will enable scientists to tailor treatments to have the biggest impact on behavior.”
- Accelerator Awards:
- Title: “Longitudinal follow up to adolescent social skills and executive functioning intervention studies”
- Description/Summary: “Most intervention studies are funded to track post-intervention outcomes soon after an intervention is completed. In addition, intervention studies are often delivered in controlled settings and generalization to other, more natural environments is typically unknown. This funding will support an additional 4 months of post-treatment follow up to an ongoing study examining two different public-school administered interventions for adolescents with autism: one targeting social skills and the other executive function skills. The longer term follow up will enable the team to collect data on both the immediate and longer term impacts of these interventions and allow researchers to obtain qualitative feedback from parents and individuals with ASD about their experiences with the interventions.”
- Undergraduate Summer Research Grants:
- Title: NA
- Description/Summary: “Danielle will work at the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain to understand how the brains of individuals with autism function in tasks involving impulsivity. Her research will help improve intervention targets, specifically for adolescents who struggle in impulse control.”
- Postdoctoral Fellowship:
- Journal Article publications
- 2018: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/what-we-fund/asf-supported-findings/2018-research-findings/
- 2017: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/what-we-fund/asf-supported-findings/2017-research-findings/
- 2016:https://autismsciencefoundation.org/what-we-fund/asf-supported-findings/2016-research-findings/
- 2015:https://autismsciencefoundation.org/what-we-fund/asf-supported-findings/2015-research-findings/
- 2014:https://autismsciencefoundation.org/what-we-fund/asf-supported-findings/2014-research-findings/
- 2013:https://autismsciencefoundation.org/what-we-fund/asf-supported-findings/2013-research-findings/
- 2012:https://autismsciencefoundation.org/what-we-fund/asf-supported-findings/2012-research-findings/
- 2011:https://autismsciencefoundation.org/what-we-fund/asf-supported-findings/2011-research-findings/