Our clear and transparent process for funding research allows us to fund the best science and people.
Our role as a funder
We fund research in our priority areas which
- improves outcomes that are important for the community
- breaks new ground by focussing on new and under-focussed areas
- supports the next generation of leaders in autism research
- drives research by providing infrastructure to make it easier in the UK
Current grants available:
Charles Sharland Grant Scheme - for autistic researchers
We have launched a grant scheme to enable autistic people to take their first step into research.
Find out moreFuture Leader Award - for early career researchers
We are awarding early career research leaders up to £100,000 to develop their innovative ideas. This award is open to those between the third year of their PhD through to post-doc and the first year of a permanent academic position.
Find out moreOur funding schemes
Improving outcomes, Changing lives
An annual competitive call for research ideas on a theme based on a community priority. This year our call was on the topic of language and communication.
Future leaders awards
This scheme aims to build a bigger and better future generation of scientists, by bridging the bottleneck in the career trajectory of scientists from leaving their PhD to becoming independent scientists.
Kick-starting research priority areas
Through our research network, Discover, we aim to bring together great minds at our collaborative workshops. We will then make strategic investments in game-changing research as well as giving research teams the funds they need to get an innovative new idea started.
Eligibility criteria
We currently only fund research in the UK.
Peer review
We have a gold-standard peer review process for funding high-quality research demonstrated through our membership of the Association for Medical Research Charities.
Our proposals are reviewed by autistic people and family members as well as scientists and clinicians. Our scientific review panel makes recommendations for funding to our Board of Trustees.