Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship in Autism Spectrum Disorders

The 2026 Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship in Autism Spectrum Disorders is a competitive grant opportunity administered by the Autism Science Foundation. The program supports highly motivated undergraduate students who wish to engage in basic or clinical autism-related research during the summer. The fellowship is part of the Foundation’s broader mission to advance autism research by supporting new scientific talent and encouraging exploration of critical topics in autism science, including both foundational and applied research questions. Research projects supported under this program must demonstrate a direct scientific connection to autism spectrum disorders. Eligible topics include a wide array of disciplines, ranging from human behavior, language development, and neurobiology, to pharmacology, genetics, epigenetics, immunology, and policy studies. The Foundation explicitly encourages proposals that explore profound autism, service gaps, racial and ethnic disparities, and other under-researched areas. It further places a priority on applicants from underrepresented racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic backgrounds. All applicants must submit demographic information as part of the application process. Each fellowship award totals $4,000 USD, with Canadian equivalents offered for Canadian institutions. Awards are paid directly to the sponsoring university, which must then allocate $3,500 to the student as a stipend and retain $500 for research-related expenses. The funds may not be used for tuition. Awards require a minimum of eight weeks of research conducted under the supervision of a qualified mentor, who must hold a tenured or tenure-track position at an accredited institution and be an established researcher in autism-related fields. Research may be conducted either in laboratories or in community-based settings such as schools, job sites, or camps, provided that oversight is appropriately documented. The application must be submitted as a single PDF file to the Autism Science Foundation, except for the mentor’s letter of recommendation, which is submitted separately. Required application materials include a project abstract, detailed research and mentorship plans, applicant personal statement, unofficial transcript, CVs of both student and mentor, and documentation of institutional approvals if applicable (IRB/IACUC). A template for the required outcomes report will be provided, and this report must be submitted no later than September 30, 2026. Applications are due by March 6, 2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time, and award notifications will be issued later that month. Projects must begin between May 1, 2026 and July 6, 2026, with the grant term officially defined as one year to accommodate academic and training activities beyond the summer. However, the core research activities are expected to be conducted during the designated summer period. The Autism Science Foundation reserves the right to reject incomplete applications or return submissions that do not comply with the RFA requirements. All applicants must register for an ORCID ID, and ASF mandates open-source publication of research results. Proposals are reviewed by ASF’s Board of Directors in collaboration with independent autism research experts. Questions may be directed to Katie Madgett, Science Program Manager, via [email protected].