Michelle Diament reports at Disability Scoop:
The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, a government advisory panel comprised of federal officials and members of the autism community, voted last week to request that public and private dollars for autism research double.
The committee wants to see funding reach $685 million in 2020, roughly twice the $343 million spent in 2015. Under the plan, spending would rise 14.85 percent each year in order to meet the goal.From IACC's draft strategic plan:
In 2008, the reported autism research funding for Federal agencies and private organizations was $222.2 million and 745 projects. In 2015, funding for ASD research among both Federal and private funders totaled $342.6 million and spanned 1,373 research projects. Over the eight years, autism research showed a general upward trend in funding, increasing by 35% since 2008. Looking over the last eight years, significant advances have been made in autism research in each of the question areas prioritized by the Committee. But, there are still some areas of research that lack the support needed to foster significant progress. Since the development of the last IACC Strategic Plan, we have reached milestones in our discoveries in autism research, but have also uncovered emerging areas in need of investments. This next edition of the IACC Strategic Plan builds on the priorities established in the previous Strategic Plans, identifies the gaps in research, and provides recommendations for future research and services endeavors so that we continue to make a difference in the lives of people with ASD and their families.
