2020 SCIENTIFIC REVIEW AND FUNDING The Eagles Autism Foundation has announced that a total of 18 projects, including eight pilot studies and 10 community grants, will receive $3.1 million in funding for cutting-edge autism research and programming. A total of 47 letters of intent were submitted for grant funding. The projects were narrowed down to 28 full proposals that went through a comprehensive evaluation process. Each project was carefully reviewed by an independent team of scientists who have demonstrated a clear and steadfast commitment to autism research, services, and programs. Following the review process, it was determined that eight pilot studies would be awarded to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Drexel University, Harvard University, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Connecticut (UConn), University of Iowa, University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMass Medical School), and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). 2020 COMMUNITY GRANT RECIPIENTS Given the economic landscape and the pressing need for individual and family services, the Eagles Autism Foundation adjusted the timing and focus of its 2020 Community Grants. Awarded to 10 organizations, this year’s grants addressed issues specifically impacted by the move from in-person to virtual services, including employment, advocacy, research and training. Among those funded were The Elwyn Foundation and The Kinney Center for Autism Support and Education at St. Joseph’s University. Providing early intervention evaluation services to 7,500 children ages 3-5 in the Greater Philadelphia, The Elwyn Foundation’s traditional model of interaction is primarily between the provider and the child. However, with the shift to virtual intervention, parents and caregivers became exponentially more involved. Clear communication for effective training and support is crucial. With the community grant funding, the foundation was able to expand translation and interpretation services to maintain their high level of quality services for families whose first language is not English. The Kinney Center for Autism Support and Education at St. Joseph’s University’s ASPIRE (Autism Support Promoting Inclusive and Responsive Education) program supports college students on the autism spectrum transitioning from secondary to post-secondary education. As a result of the grant, the center is now able to extend the program beyond the university, expanding it to aid the transition from post-secondary education to the workforce, while enhancing technology to assist with remote training and support.
2020 FUNDED PROJECTS
Precision Cell Based Therapy for seizure and autism in Dravet syndrome
Emotional expressivity in young children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder
The use of high-dimensional EEG in the early identification of autism in primary care
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in ASD for Sensory Over Responsivity
Identifying Genes That Contribute to Dup15q Autism Using a Human Stem Cell Model
Functional Connectivity of the Amygdala in Autism
Biomarker-Driven Pharmacological Treatment for ASD
Striatal Circuit Dysfunction in Autism
2020 Eagles Autism Foundation eaglesautismfoundation.org
IMPACT REPORT
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