Research on Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders (R01)
In the past decade, the number of confirmed cases of Autism has skyrocketed. Although medical professionals, scientists, and researchers have some ideas regarding the cause of such dramatic increase, as well as the disorder itself, more research is needed. Currently, the US government’s Department of Education, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Health, and Social Security Administration have joined forces in offering a grant called Research on Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders under the Funding Opportunity Number of PA-10-158.
This governmental grant will remain open for applicant submittal until May 7, 2013. In addition to this grant under R01, several other grants are open that relate directly or indirectly to Autism to include the following that could be researched using the CFDA number:
• 93.113 – Environmental Health
• 93.173 – Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders
• 93.213 – Research and Training in Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• 93.242 – Mental Health Research Grants
• 93.361 – Nursing Research
• 93.853 – Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders
• 93.865 – Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research
Sadly, Autism has affected millions of lives, not just the person with the disorder but his or her family and friends as well. Autism on any level is challenging but when a person faces serious symptoms, everyday existence becomes extremely challenging. The concept and types of symptoms associated with Autism are shared across the board, but when the disorder reaches extreme levels of manifestation, the situation can often feel hopeless. In addition, some people with severe Autism are quiet and subdued whereas others become loud and violent.
One of the many things about Autism that make this particular challenge so frustrating and disheartening is that often the individual is born healthy and for the first few years of life appears to be normal as any other child. This means for the first year or two of life, a parent experiences the joy of a happy and healthy child only to begin seeing odd behaviors that ultimately leads to a diagnosis of Autism.
To understand the importance of grants such as the Research on Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders (R01), consider the following statistics:
• The number of confirmed cases of Autism are 1 in 500 or 1 in 2,500 depending on criteria being used
• For children between the ages of 3 and 17, 1% have an Autism spectrum disorder
• Approximately 1 to 1.5 million people in the United States alone live with Autism, with numbers expected to reach 4 million by 2020
• Of all developmental disabilities, Autism is increasing the fastest with a growth rate of 1,148%
• Currently, $60 billion are spent annually on research, diagnosis, and treatment of Autism but by 2020, it is expected the numbers will climb to $200 to $400 billion annually
• Boys are four times more likely to develop Autism than girls are
With this government grant research would be encouraged to develop or better processes for etiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and service delivery specific to Autism Spectrum Disorders, also referred to as ASD. In the past few years, the public put tremendous pressure on the government to identify the reason or reasons that Autism is such a serious risk and concern.
As a result, the Combating Autism Acts of 2006 was passed by Congress to increase the pace at which scientific study is performed, but also coordination efforts with various organizations and professionals in the discovery of underlying causes for Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders. With Autism Spectrum Disorders, one of the challenges with research is that impairments involve so many different things such as communication, behavior, social interaction, activities, interests, diet, health, education, etc.
Because Autism reaches so many areas of a person’s life, research must be a collaborative effort amongst different government departments and organizations to ensure all aspects of the disorder and risk factors can be addressed and improved upon. Usually, Autism is a lifelong problem so solutions identified or developed from research need to focus on long-term goals. Some possible areas being looked into more carefully as potential risk factors for the development of Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders includes environmental, infectious, metabolic, genetic, and immunologic influences, or a combination of one or more.
Autism has been studied and researched for years and while significant insight has been achieved, the purpose of this grant is to encourage the right people and organizations to push the boundaries by delving into these areas at a deeper level, as well as new areas. The government, medical experts, scientists, and researchers are optimistic that the Research on Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders (R01) grant will allow pathophysiology factors to be dissected more but also innovative diagnostic research instruments, treatments, and even interventions for this disorder to be developed.
Numerous areas of interest will be focused on with this grant but a few examples of what the grant will touch include:
• Screening, Early Detection, and Diagnosis – The grant will also provide funding so research in all three of these areas can be done, ultimately helping professionals to identify the developmental stages of Autism so more effective assessment, diagnostic, and treatment plans can be formed.
• Genetic Studies – Research in this area will help identify any specific genes or epigenetic mechanisms a person with Autism has so detailed mapping could be conducted, heterogeneity detected, and interaction with environmental triggers for this disorder identified.
• Brain Function – With studies of mechanisms of the brain, development, regulation, and modulation of specific Autistic behaviors can be characteristics. Although several mechanisms would be addressed, communication and social interaction are considered priorities.
• Cognitive Science – As mentioned, many people who end up having Autism appear to be normal, healthy babies so with this grant money, criteria needed to establish a guideline specific to developmental behaviors in infancy such as vocalization, gaze, initiative, play, attachment, compliance, self-recognition would be possible.
To receive funding associated with the grant on Research on Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders (R01), the following would be eligible applicants:
• Governments
• State
• County
• City/Township
• Native American Tribal (Federally Recognized)
• Education
• Special Districts
• Independent School Districts
• Public and State-Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education
• Organizations and Authorities
• Native American Tribal Organizations (Non-Federally Recognized)
• Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
• Non-Profit Organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (excluding institutions of higher education)
• For Profit Organization (Excluding Small Businesses)
• Small businesses
• Miscellaneous
• Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
• Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
• Faith or Community-Based Organizations
• Historically Black Colleges/Universities
• Hispanic-Serving Institutions
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Non-Federally Recognized)
• Non-Domestic (Non-US) Entities (Foreign Organizations)
• Regional Organizations
• Tribally-Controlled Colleges/Universities
• US Territory/Possession
All applications must be received electronically through www.grants.gov no later than 5:00 pm on the closing date of May 7, 2013, using the SF424 Research and Related form. Keep in mind that paper applications are automatically rejected. However, prior to applications being submitted, eligible parties are required to complete the registration process a minimum of four weeks prior. Request for a full application package is available through customer service at www.grants.gov/customerservice.
