Apply for Undergraduate and Accelerator Grants!
 
2018 Undergraduate Summer Research Grants
Applications Due: February 16, 2018 5:00 PM EST
Notification of Awards: March, 2018

The Autism Science Foundation invites applications from highly qualified undergraduates interested in pursuing basic and clinical research relevant to autism spectrum disorders during the summer.  The proposed research must be scientifically linked to autism or a closely related field. Research must be conducted in a university-based laboratory or in the field under the supervision of a highly qualified mentor for a period of no less than 8 weeks. 

Awards of $3000 will be made directly to the university sponsoring the research. Of this, the university must pay $2500 directly to the student as a stipend; $500 shall be used for lab expenses and indirect university costs.

Please visit the ASF site here to learn more about the grant, eligibility, past recipients, and application instructions.

2018 Research Accelerator Grants
Applications Due: April 3, 2018
Notification of Awards: June, 2018

ASF also  invites applications for its Research Accelerator Grants. These grants are designed to expand the scope, speed the progress, increase the efficiency and/or improve final product dissemination of active autism research grants. 

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.

Please visit the ASF site here to learn more about the grant, eligibility, past recipients, and application instructions.
New ASF Grant Focuses on Employment

anne roux
Anne Roux, MPH, MA
Last month, ASF announced its latest Research Accelerator Grant recipient: Anne Roux, MPH, MA, of Drexel University.

Ms. Roux's research focuses on leveraging a new federal law to improve employment outcomes for transition-aged youth (ages 16-24) with autism spectrum disorder. The ASF grant will allow her team to characterize the new programs emerging from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act on a state by state basis, and will establish metrics of autism-specific practices in each state. ASF funding will speed up the ability to identify what higher-performing states are doing well and inform the development of autism-specific practice guidelines.

To view ASF's press release, please click here.
ASFpod01152018
Preventing Burnout in Autism Staff

The needs of  autism  support staff are rarely examined. These important members of the community often suffer  burnout  which can impact the quality of the services t hey provide individuals with ASD. A new study examines how to improve the psychological well being of autism support staff and reduce burnout. 

In addition, intolerance of uncertainty has been highly associated with autism, but a new study from the Kennedy Krieger Institute shows a direct link between this trait and ASD. 

Listen to the podcast here.

Did you know that Healthline just named ASF's Weekly Science Podcast the best autism podcast of 2017! Read about all the top podcasts
here .  
In the next Autism BrainNet webinar, Dr Christopher Walsh, Chief of the Division of Genetics at Boston Children's Hospital, will present data  on  somatic mutations - genetic mutations also named post-zygotic mutations, as they occur after the formation of the zygote, when the embryo starts to form and develop and different types of cells are formed. Dr. Walsh will present data on somatic mutations that occur in the brain,  why these mutations are important for understanding symptoms of autism, and how they contribute to the formation of the autistic brain.

Registration for the free webinar on January 22, 2018 at 1PM EST can be done here.
ABN webinar with Dr. Christopher Walsh
Thank you to everyone who donated to Recipe4Hope!
 
Your support makes ASF's scientific initiatives possible. Donations to ASF n ot only help to advance scientific progress, they give families challenged by autism the gift of hope. Consider making a tax-deductible donation today.
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