Funding News - Research on Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders Encouraged

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) encourage grant applications for research on autism and autism spectrum disorders.

Autism and autism spectrum disorders share a cluster of impairments in reciprocal social interaction and communication, and the presence of stereotyped behavior, interests, and activities. These complex disorders are of lifelong duration and affect multiple aspects of development, learning, and adaptation in the community, and, thus, represent a pressing public health need. The etiologies of these disorders are poorly understood, but are thought to include genetic, metabolic, immunological, infectious, and environmental causes.

Potential areas of research interest include: epidemiology, early identification and diagnosis, genetic studies, brain mechanisms, communication skills, cognitive science, psychosocial interventions, and pharmacological/biological intervention.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Deborah Hirtz, Program Director, Neurogenetics Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2212, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: (301) 496-5821; fax: (301) 480-1080; email: dh83f@nih.gov.

For a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-01-051.html.