Researchers
The New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence (NJACE) aims to help New Jersey researchers connect with individuals with autism and their families who may be interested in participating in research.
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families often are unaware of opportunities to participate in research projects that may benefit them. Conversely, a major challenge for autism researchers involves identifying and recruiting a large sample of participants who meet the study’s inclusion/exclusion criteria, so that the study sample is representative of the target population and there is sufficient power to accurately test the study’s hypotheses. The NJACE is committed to addressing both problems by developing ways to connect New Jersey researchers with individuals with autism and their families who may be interested in participating in research, by:
- Providing information about potential research participation opportunities on our website
- Providing small seed grants to researchers who wish to build a register or cohort of potential participants for promising research investigations through the current request for applications (RFA)
- Providing seed grants to researchers aiming to apply for federal research or training grants
Additionally, the NJACE will be hosting an annual conference to bring together leading local and national researchers and physicians in the field of autism spectrum disorders and related areas. We will invite researchers to submit proposals to present their research at our annual conference.
Annual Conference and Bimonthly Symposia
The New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence disseminates critical information and provides continuing education on the latest advances in autism research through an annual conference and bimonthly symposia. The conferences’ agendas will include a variety of presentations, panel discussions and workshops on timely and engaging topics in autism that capture the diverse interests and expertise of the attendees and broader research and practice communities. Bimonthly symposia are presentations by leading professionals, held every other month, which are designed to incorporate the interests of researchers and healthcare professionals in New Jersey along with the areas of critical needs identified by the autism community and the NJACE.
Seed Grants
The NJACE supports basic, applied, and translational research into the causes, diagnosis, early detection, prevention and management of autism. Research and training seed grants will be awarded to interdisciplinary teams of New Jersey researchers to support the development of competitive federal research or training grants.
Connecting Persons with Autism with Autism Researchers
The NJACE can assist autism researchers to connect with the following participant recruitment resources and, when appropriate, provide seed funding to help cover associated costs. Researchers who are awarded seed money from this RFA can propose to use the funding to access these resources or to fund other activities that will help them identify and recruit potential participants for their research.