Autism Speaks Request for Applications - Treatment Research Grants

Autism Speaks invites both Full- and Pilot-Level Treatment research grant applications to conduct innovative clinical studies of novel interventions for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) throughout the lifespan. These may include medical approaches including complementary and alternative forms of health care and pharmacological treatments, as well as behavioral and/or psychosocial interventions, and evaluation of the efficacy, safety or therapeutic benefits of all types of interventions. Also appropriate are animal model studies that test the effects of novel compounds for reducing autism symptoms.

Submission, Review, & Notification Schedule (subject to change):

• Letter of Intent due: February 23, 2012, 8:00 PM Eastern
• Letter of intent notifications: April 1, 2012
• Application due: May 2, 2012, 8:00PM Eastern
• Peer review panels: July 2012
• Notifications: October 2012
• Earliest Grant start date: November, 2012

Eligibility:

• Investigators holding full-time faculty appointments, professional affiliations or equivalent at accredited academic, medical, research or educational institutions are eligible to apply. Applications will NOT be accepted from individuals or proprietary organizations to support the research and development of products or treatments for profit.
• As Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator, all applicants are restricted to one submission per Treatment review cycle, regardless of whether it is at the Full or Pilot Level. Multiple submissions will be returned.

Award:

Autism Speaks will make a limited number of treatment research grants determined by the available financial resources.

• Full-level research grant -- 1 to 3 years -- $150,000/year maximum
• Pilot-level research grant -- 1 to 2 years -- $60,000/year maximum

Pilot-Level Treatment Awards must satisfy one or more of the following requirements:

• Employ innovative, novel and/or untested research in biomedical or behavioral treatment approaches, which if successful, will advance emerging or transforming areas of research on the prevention, treatment, or cure of autism spectrum disorders
• Develop preliminary data necessary to expand to the level of a trial, develop a research program and/or submit a competitive treatment research grant application to a major funding agency (e.g., NIH, NSF, CDC etc.) or the equivalent
• Come from beginning principal investigators with demonstrated potential for and a commitment to autism research
• Come from established investigators with expertise and experience in other (non-autism) areas of research that are relevant and will be applied directly to research on autism spectrum disorders

Full-Level Treatment Awards must satisfy the following requirements:

• Build on existing and/or pilot-level feasibility data to further investigate biomedical or behavioral treatment approaches that, if successful, will advance emerging or transforming areas of research on the prevention, treatment, or cure of autism spectrum disorders
• Have shown promise in previous research or that are supported by a body of existing research evidence.
• Come from established principal investigators with demonstrated potential for and a commitment to autism research

For complete information, please click here or visit the Autism Speaks website.