Press Release

ARLINGTON, VA, December 5, 2024– The Organization for Autism Research (OAR) is happy to announce the winners of the 2024 Applied Research Competition. This program, which started awarding up to $50,000 at the start of this cycle, offers grants to researchers and professionals who conduct applied autism research. This year, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized funding for seven new grants totaling $338,844. With these additions, OAR has surpassed more than $5.3 million awarded in grants since 2002.

OAR received 184 pre-proposals during the first round, and of those, 65 researchers were invited to submit full proposals. Twenty-one full proposals advanced to the final review, and in October, OAR’s Scientific Council, a group of autism professionals from various fields and backgrounds, reviewed and scored each proposal. In the end, they identified six studies as the most outstanding.

Congratulations to the 2024 applied grant recipients:

Efficacy of a Depression and Suicidal Ideation Prevention Class for Autistic Adults
Emily Rothman, Sc.D.
Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts

Exploring Autism-Friendly Campus Spaces: A Pilot Study at the University of Alberta*
Heather Brown, Ph.D
University of Alberta, Canada

Exploring Challenging Behavior, Trauma, and Caregiving Among Siblings of Autistic Individuals
Meghan Burke, Ph.D, BCBA-D
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

The Impact of Adaptive Sensory Environments on Perioperative Care for Children with ASD
Lisa Einhorn, M.D.
Duke University Children’s Hospital, Durham, North Carolina

Into the Unknown: Autistic Females’ Mental Health Experiences During Perimenopause
Clare Harrop, Ph.D.
University of Chapel Hill at Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Socially Valid Behavior Support Plans for Students with Autism
Megan Carpenter, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Clemson University, South Carolina

*OAR thanks the Lisa Higgins Hussman Foundation for generously supporting Dr. Brown’s study.

In addition to funding six applied research grants, the Board of Directors approved funding for a new resource grant through the Applied Research Competition. The purpose of the project, “Improving Autism Assessment Experience for Transgender Adults: Testing the Acceptability of a Guide,” will be to design, test the acceptability of, and produce a practical guide to support transgender adults. OAR will assist with distributing the published guide. Congratulations to the resource grant recipient, Meredith Maroney, Ph.D., at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

OAR is accepting letters of intent for the 2025 Applied Research Competition through March 17, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET. More information on the application process, including the Request for Application (RFA) and Budget Guidelines, can be accessed here.

For questions or comments, please contact OAR at (571) 977-5391 or e-mail research@researchautism.org.

About OAR: The Organization for Autism Research (OAR) is a national non-profit organization formed and led by relatives of children and adults with autism. OAR is dedicated to promoting research that can be applied to help families, educators, caregivers, and individuals with autism find much-needed answers to their immediate and urgent questions. Learn more at their website: www.researchautism.org.