News and Knowledge

On November 15, OAR’s Scientific Council met in Columbus, Ohio, to conduct the final review for the 2016 Applied Research Competition. In the most competitive year since 2002, Council members had the difficult task of identifying the best studies from a very strong pool of proposals. OAR received 148 preproposals and invited 69 applicants to submit full proposals. Only 23 full proposals were selected to move to the final round, along with four Partnership Grant applicants.

After much deliberation, the Scientific Council recommended a total of six research projects to OAR’s Board of Directors, which authorized the study funding. These new grants totaling $178,866 bring OAR’s total research funding to over $3.6 million since 2002.

OAR is proud to announce the 2016 Applied Research Competition study topics and grant recipients:

• Usage Trends and Characteristics of SSI Beneficiaries on the Autism Spectrum

           Principal Investigator: Kristy Anderson, Ph.D.
           Institution: A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Facing Your Fears: Supporting Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Intellectual Disabilities

           Principal Investigator: Audrey Blakeley-Smith, Ph.D.
           Institution: University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado

• Open Trial of the CHANGE (Changing Health in ASD through Nutrition, Getting Fit & Expanding Variety)

          Principal Investigator: Kristen Criado, Ph.D.
          Institution: Marcus Autism Center at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia

• A Feasibility Study of Headsprout Reading Program in Children with ASD and Reading Delay

          Principal Investigator: Bethany Hansen, Ph.D., BCBA-D
          Institution: Marcus Autism Center at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia

• Association of State-level Factors with Vocational Outcomes for Transition-age Youth with Autism

          Principal Investigator: Anne Roux, M.P.H., M.A.
          Institution: A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• RCT of Mindfulness-Enhanced Pivotal Response Treatment Group Training for Parents of Children with ASD

           Principal Investigator: Angela Scarpa, Ph.D.
           Institution: Virginia Tech Center for Autism Research, Blacksburg, Virginia

Congratulations to the 2016 Applied Research Grant recipients!

Read more about the newly funded studies. Beginning in January, OAR will feature a research preview of each new study in The OARacle.

For more information on the newly funded studies or on OAR’s Applied Research Competition, contact Kim Ha at 703-243-9762 or email.