What Autism Science Foundation does

The Autism Science Foundation (ASF) is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2009 and headquartered in Scarsdale, New York, that funds scientific research aimed at understanding the biological causes of autism and accelerating evidence-based treatments. It serves three principal constituencies: families and individuals affected by autism seeking credible information, early-career and established autism researchers in need of seed and bridge funding, and the broader autism advocacy community. The organization was co-founded by parents and scientists, and its leadership includes Co-Founder and President Alison Singer and Chief Science Officer Dr. Alycia Halladay, who also hosts the ASF weekly podcast.

ASF's product portfolio centers on grant programs and science communication rather than commercial technology. Grant programs include Undergraduate Summer Research Awards (in their 13th year), the newly launched Save Our Scientists (SOS) Postdoctoral Grants, Profound Autism Pilot Grants and Pre-doctoral Fellowships, and Suzanne Wright Memorial Research Accelerator Awards. Collaborative research initiatives include the Autism Sisters Project, Baby Siblings Research Consortium (50+ researchers), AGENDA (20+ advocacy groups), the Next Gen Sibs Project, Autism BrainNet, and Sam's Sibs Stick Together. Communication and community products include the weekly ASF Podcast, the 13th Annual Day of Learning conference held at 583 Park Avenue in New York City, a Research Participation Directory connecting families with studies, and an extensive Educational Resource Hub covering autism basics, diagnosis, treatment, and lifecycle support.

ASF's business model is charitable fundraising. Revenue is generated through donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations, supplemented by planned giving, bequests, and events such as the Autism Leadership Luncheon. The organization has cumulatively distributed more than $5 million in direct grants to researchers and reports that 86% of funded grantees remain in autism research five years post-award, versus 30% of unfunded applicants. ASF is a lean organization with 1-10 employees and no disclosed revenue, software product, or API offering.

Name

Autism Science Foundation

Legal name

Autism Science Foundation

Website

https://autismsciencefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Autism Science Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2009 that funds cutting-edge autism research and provides evidence-based information to families, researchers, and advocates, with cumulative grantmaking exceeding $5 million.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Autism Research Nonprofit / Health Research Funding

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked) (EDAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Autism research funding
• Science communication
• Research fellowships
• Nonprofit grants
• Autism education resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Scarsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: ASF operates as a 501(c)(3) public charity relying primarily on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent permitted by law.
2. Planned Giving and Bequests: The organization accepts planned giving and bequests, allowing donors to include ASF in their will or estate planning for long-term support.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Autism Science Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that funds cutting-edge autism research through grants and fellowships (Undergraduate Summer Research Awards, Post-Doctoral S.O.S. Grants, Profound Autism Pilot Grants, Suzanne Wright Memorial Research Accelerator Awards) and supports collaborative research initiatives. It disseminates evidence-based information about autism to families and the public via a podcast, annual Day of Learning conference, Research Participation Directory, and an Educational Resource Hub covering diagnosis, treatment, and life-stage guidance.

Product overview

The Autism Science Foundation (ASF) is a nonprofit organization operating a portfolio of research funding programs and science communication platforms rather than a commercial technology product. Its core offerings include: grant programs funding early-career autism researchers (Undergraduate Summer Research Awards, Post-Doctoral S.O.S. Grants, Profound Autism Pilot Grants, and Suzanne Wright Memorial Research Accelerator Awards); collaborative research initiatives (Autism Sisters Project, Baby Siblings Research Consortium, AGENDA, Next Gen Sibs Project, Sam's Sibs Stick Together); the ASF Podcast (weekly science podcast); the Day of Learning annual conference series; and a Research Participation Directory connecting families with studies. ASF also provides an extensive educational resource hub covering autism basics, diagnosis, treatment, and lifecycle support. The organization does not offer a SaaS platform, API, or commercial software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowships Eight-week paid summer fellowships for undergraduate students to conduct autism research in university laboratories; open to students from a range of disciplines. Now in its 13th consecutive year.
• Save Our Scientists (S.O.S.) Postdoctoral Grant Program Bridge funding grants for autism post-doctoral researchers facing disruptions in federal research support, sustaining ongoing projects through transition periods.
• Suzanne Wright Memorial Research Accelerator Awards Funding supplements designed to expand scope, accelerate progress, or improve dissemination of active autism research grants held by established investigators.
• Profound Autism Pilot Grants and Pre-doctoral Fellowships Pilot grants and pre-doctoral fellowships dedicated to improving, expanding, or enabling inclusion of individuals with profound autism in research studies.
• ASF Weekly Science Report Podcast Free weekly podcast hosted by Chief Science Officer Dr. Alycia Halladay featuring expert guests and accessible coverage of the latest autism science research. Available on Spotify, iTunes, and asfpodcast.org.
• Day of Learning Annual Conference Annual TED-style in-person conference bringing together autism researchers, families, individuals with autism, and advocates for science talks and networking; 13th annual edition held March 2026 in NYC.
• Research Participation Directory Searchable online directory that connects individuals and families affected by autism with active research studies; filterable by age, location, topic, and participation format.
• Autism Sisters Project Research initiative examining the genetics of sex-based differences in autism diagnosis, studying more than 11,000 individuals with ASD and exploring a female protective effect.
• Baby Siblings Research Consortium (BSRC) Multi-site collaborative research network of more than 50 investigators studying infants at familial risk for ASD to identify earliest behavioral and biological markers before diagnosis age.
• AGENDA (Alliance for Genetic Etiologies of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Autism) Coalition of more than 20 patient advocacy groups fostering a genetics-first approach to autism research and strengthening collaborations across neurodevelopmental disorder organizations.
• Next Gen Sibs Project Project establishing infrastructure to track grandchildren of individuals with autism from birth to learn about early warning signs in the next generation, with initial sites at Emory University and UCLA.
• Sam's Sibs Stick Together Sibling support webinar series and research initiative offering extra support for autism siblings and presenting findings from sibling-focused research.
• Autism Education Resource Hub Comprehensive online resource providing evidence-based information about autism including What is Autism, Causes/Signs/Symptoms, Diagnosing Autism, Treatment Options, Newly Diagnosed guidance, School-Aged Children support, and Entering Adulthood resources.
• Independent Autism Coordinating Committee (I-ACC) Secretariat Consortium of autism research funders, former IACC chairs, NIH institute directors, and leading autism scientists coordinated by ASF as administrative secretariat to maintain evidence-based progress amid federal IACC changes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% of funded researchers remained in ASD research at 5-year follow-up vs 30% of unfunded applicants
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Autism Sisters ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017A collaborative research project examining why females are less likely to receive an autism diagnosis compared to males. Research has shown that females carry a higher genetic load compared to males, suggesting a protective effect.
• Baby Siblings Research Consortium (BSRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA multidisciplinary collaborative community of researchers studying infants at familial risk for ASD to understand developmental origins and earliest signs of autism. Includes over 50 researchers working together.
• AGENDA (Alliance for Genetic Etiologies of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Autism)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrings together more than 18 patient advocacy groups with genetic diseases associated with high prevalence of ASD to foster a genetics-first approach to understanding autism.
• Next Gen Siblings ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn offshoot of Baby Sibs Project helping adult unaffected siblings detect and understand ASD signs in their own children. Initial sites at Emory University and UCLA.
• Sam's Sibs Stick TogetherminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA webinar series created during COVID-19 offering extra support for autism siblings, presenting research findings focused on siblings, and discussing resources available for siblings of all ages.
• Autism BrainNetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASF works closely with Autism BrainNet to encourage families to donate postmortem brain tissue for research. Brain tissue is available to researchers worldwide and has helped identify new therapeutic targets.
• CANDID (Collaboration for ASD GI and Neurodevelopmental Disorders)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA multidisciplinary collaboration of researchers, medical professionals, caregivers and patient advocacy groups working to improve GI care for people with neurodevelopmental disorders.
• CDC Learn the Signs, Act Early InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASF is an active partner in the CDC's initiative providing resources for families such as early intervention contacts by state and a milestone tracking app.
• Baby Navigator and Autism NavigatorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASF is an active partner with these resources offering video-based, interactive, multicultural series with examples of early signs of autism and ways to intervene at home.
• American Medical AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered with AMA and Autism Speaks to publicly criticize CDC website changes regarding vaccine-autism misinformation.
• Autism SpeaksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered with American Medical Association and ASF to publicly criticize CDC website changes regarding vaccine-autism misinformation.
• Independent Autism Coordinating Committee (I-ACC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASF serves as the administrative secretariat for the I-ACC, a new consortium coordinating work among non-governmental autism research funders. Includes former IACC chairs, NIH institute directors, and leading autism scientists.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Brain & Behavior Research Foundation: Nonprofit funding psychiatric/neuroscience research grants; comparable to ASF as a peer in nonprofit research-funding structure, though with broader neuroscience scope.
• International Society for Autism Research (INSAR): Professional society advancing autism research; comparable as a stakeholder ecosystem for ASF's research community and conferences, though not a direct grantmaking peer.

Broad incumbents

• Autism Speaks: Largest US autism advocacy nonprofit with a research-funding arm; overlaps with ASF on autism research grants and policy advocacy but operates at substantially greater scale.
• Autism Society of America: Established national autism advocacy and support organization with broader services portfolio than ASF; comparable as an autism-focused nonprofit peer operating in similar donor and family-information markets.
• Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI): Major private autism research funder; comparable to ASF in funding autism science but operates with substantially larger grant budgets and institutional backing.

Direct peers

• Autism Research Institute (ARI): Long-standing nonprofit funding and disseminating autism research; highly comparable to ASF in research-funding and science-communication focus.
• Organization for Autism Research (OAR): Small nonprofit focused on funding applied autism research and scholarships; directly comparable to ASF in mission, scale, and grantmaking model.
• National Autism Association: Autism advocacy nonprofit serving families and funding research/policy work; overlaps with ASF on family-information and research advocacy missions.
• Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism: Family-founded autism nonprofit funding research, services, and family support; comparable in mission and scale profile to ASF.

Regional players

• Autism Cares Foundation: Smaller, regionally focused autism nonprofit supporting families and research; comparable to ASF in nonprofit structure but with more limited geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AutismScienceFd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCt4qS0PJD9QfQtlxd4iK2wg
• Facebookfacebook.com/autismsciencefd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/autism-science-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/autismsciencefd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Autism Science Foundation