The mission of the Autism Science Foundation is to support autism research by funding scientists and organizations conducting studies related to autism spectrum disorders. The foundation focuses on expanding knowledge about autism through research to improve understanding, treatment, and opportunities for individuals with autism.
The Autism Science Foundation's Post-Undergraduate Two Year Research Fellowship aims to support recent bachelor’s degree recipients by providing them with an opportunity to gain intensive experience in autism research. This fellowship allows the recipients to work full-time in a laboratory setting, advancing an existing study or initiating a new research project under the guidance of experienced mentors and advisors within a well-established autism research lab. The program emphasizes the importance of the proposed training being scientifically linked to autism, while also being open to closely related areas of scientific inquiry. Areas of research interest include human behavior, neurobiology, pharmacology, disparities in access to care, neuropathology, genetics, epigenetics, immunology, molecular and cellular mechanisms, model organism studies, intervention research, and studies of treatment and service delivery. There is a particular interest in projects focusing on under-researched communities, such as individuals with profound autism, severe and challenging behaviors, and those belonging to racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups facing disparities.