Endowment promotes autism research

• The principal investigator must have a primary academic appointment in the College of Medicine as an instructor, assistant professor, associate professor or professor. In addition to basic science faculty, virtually all physicians employed by Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center have a primary academic appointment at the College of Medicine and are therefore eligible to apply.
• Only applications directly relevant to autism spectrum disorder will be considered. The scope of this RFP includes basic science, clinical and translational research.
• Applications from investigators collaborating across Penn State colleges, campuses, departments and disciplines are encouraged.
• Applications may request up to $20,000; however, awarded amounts for individual applications may be less.
• Funds may be requested for costs of supplies, software, equipment and support for staff and students, as well as costs related to the use of human subjects. Applications requesting funds solely for training or travel will not be considered. Funds may be used to supplement existing projects but applications must identify how receipt of additional funding will advance the scope of the current project.
• Faculty effort will not be covered through this mechanism, but applications must include a letter from the department chair acknowledging support for the unfunded research and the budget justification must ensure that investigator effort will be sufficient to complete the project within the 12-month project period.
• Investigators may submit only one application as the principal investigator for this funding mechanism. However, the number of projects where an investigator may serve as a co-investigator or collaborator is not limited.

Applications should be limited to three text pages (not including budget, references and biosketch) and include the following:

1. Cover page: Complete the cover page found in Box (Penn State Access ID login required).
2. Table of contents: Include page numbers starting with the cover page numbering each page consecutively.
3. The application must address:
   • Relevant background (preliminary data not required)
   • Significance and innovation, as well as how it may impact the local community
   • Approach, detailing the target population, assessment measures/specifics of the intervention/analytic techniques used to achieve study aims
   • Proposed timeline for completion of measurable objectives
   • How receipt of funding will facilitate further research work in autism spectrum disorder
4. Human subjects and/or vertebrate animals: Describe involvement as appropriate on cover page.
5. Literature cited
6. Budget: Budget only for funds expected to be used within 12 months of receipt of the award. Use the detailed budget form found in Box (Penn State Access ID login required).
7. Budget justification:Include a detailed budget justification on a separate page.
8. NIH biosketch: Include a current five-page NIH biosketch for the principal investigator/co-PI. Biosketch templates are available on the NIH website.

Submit applications via InfoReady here

Funds will be allocated based on the assessed merit of the application. Applications will be reviewed competitively with individual proposals scored on significance to autism spectrum disorder; innovation; methodology; and the capacity of the investigative team to complete the work in the proposed timeframe.

Awardees must agree to submit a brief six-month progress report and a 12-month final report detailing study accomplishments and expenditure of funds.

Previous recipients of funding from the Brad Hollinger Autism Research Endowment are listed here.