OAR Graduate Research Grant Competition

OAR Graduate Research Grant Competition

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Organization For Autism Research
Amount: Up to US $2,000
Last Updated: December 07, 2025

Summary

The OAR Graduate Research Grant Competition supports innovative research that addresses the challenges faced by autistic individuals. With grant awards of $1,000 for master's students and $2,000 for doctoral candidates, OAR aims to fund research that enhances the quality of life for individuals with autism and their families. The competition encourages practical studies focusing on early intervention, assessment models, and community integration, ensuring that findings are applicable and beneficial to the autism community.

Overview

Mission OAR’s mission is to apply research to the challenges of autism. We strive to use science to address the social, educational, and treatment concerns of autistic people, parents, autism professionals, and caregivers. The mission of “applying” research to answer questions of daily concern to autistic people and those around them defines our goals and program objectives and shapes our budget. In addition to funding research, our mission includes the requirements to: Disseminate new and useful information to as many members of the autism community as possible, andDirect all research and programs initiatives toward enhancing the quality of life for autistic individuals and the families that give them love and support. If you are wondering what we mean by applied research, we define it as research that directly impacts the day-to-day quality of life of autistic people. It entails the systematic investigation of variables associated with positive outcomes in such areas as education, communication, self-care, social skills, employment, behavior, and adult and community living. In this context, it extends to issues related to family support, the efficacy of service delivery systems, and demographic analyses of the autism community. In simplest terms, applied autism research is “practical research that examines issues and challenges that autistic children and adults and their families face every day.” Graduate Research Grant Competition Our Graduate Research Grant Competition offers grant awards of $1,000 for students conducting autism research as a requirement in pursuit of a master’s degree and $2,000 for students who are doctoral candidates or post-doctoral students. OAR will consider making up to 12 awards, for a total of $20,000 in grants We fund studies that will likely produce practical and clearly objective results that may aid parents, families, professionals, and people with autism to make more fully informed choices that will lead to healthier and happier lives. Note that these grants are for independent research studies only. Through this competition, OAR intends to promote research in the following areas: The analysis, evaluation, or comparison of assessment models, treatment models, or service systemsApplied aspects of early intervention and/or school-based education, behavioral, or communication interventionAdult issues such as continuing education, employment, housing models and “later intervention”Issues related to family support, social and community integration, and assessment and intervention with challenging behaviorThe efficacy of alternative or augmentative communication systems for autistic individuals across the lifespanApplied research that occurs in the in vivo context in which the outcome of intervention is expected to be used

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. International students are eligible to apply for our graduate grant competition. This does include students who are pursuing graduate degrees at institutions outside the U.S.What is meant by an independent research study?In order to be eligible for this grant, the graduate student must be the single investigator.What OAR Will Fund: The majority of OAR’s funds must be applied directly to the proposed research study. These costs must be itemized and may include but are not limited to:Materials and resources directly used to conduct or support the study (e.g., measurement/assessment materials, recruitment costs, training)Fees for specialized support, such as data collection, analysis, and compilationStipends, reimbursements, and rewards for research participantsNo more than 50 percent of funds may go toward rewards or reimbursements for participants.Travel related to the conduct of the researchOAR will allow expenses for items that indirectly support, but are not material to, the research project as long as they do not exceed 10 percent of the total budget request.

Ineligibility

OAR will not award grants for research studies that have commenced before the grant period begins.If the student is a co-PI, or if the study is part of a faculty member’s ongoing research, the research project is not eligible. What OAR Will Not Fund:As a general rule, OAR will not approve using OAR funds for items along these lines.Plant and equipment:OAR has an expectation that plant and equipment items such as office furniture, file cabinets, electronics, computers (including laptops), computer monitors, standard computer hardware and software, televisions, DVD players, cameras, etc. are available.Even if they are not, OAR does not see the purchase of such items as an acceptable use of its research funds for studies on this limited scale.Flat Allowance for “Indirect” Costs: Many universities and centers often apply organizational overhead expenses as “indirect costs” to external grants as a percentage allowance to help pay for general costs like electricity, other utilities, and other distributed expenses.OAR does not allow its funds to be applied in that manner.