Philadelphia

Philadelphia Eagles Will Widen Beneficiary Pool for This Year's Autism Challenge

The football team assembled a nine-person scientific peer review panel to review applications. More researchers will be able to apply for funding from the Eagles Autism Challenge in year two.

Eight research teams from three Philadelphia medical institutions will be getting a total $2.5 million next month from the proceeds raised by the Philadelphia Eagles at its inaugural Eagles Autism Challenge last May.

Plans are already underway to widen the pool of applicants so the event can support autism researchers in the years ahead.

“We want to elevate the profile of Philadelphia globally as a base for autism research,” said Ryan Hammond, executive director of the Eagles Autism Challenge.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie was the force behind the event that featured cycling and 5K run/walk events to raise money for cutting-edge research projects targeting the developmental disorder. Lurie's younger brother is autistic.

Following the event, a scientific peer review panel of autism experts was assembled by Dr. Emanuel DiCicco-Bloom, a researcher from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey who is scientific adviser for the challenge, to review applications from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health, and Drexel University — the event's three founding beneficiaries. 

“We brought all the panel members here to go through the applications,” Hammond said. “We had them use the draft room at the NovaCare Complex.” The identities of the applicants to receive funding will not be disclosed until next month.

Hammond said in the first year of the program all of the applications will receive funding, but a few must first meet conditions suggested by the peer review panel.

DiCicco-Bloom and Hammond said next year the intent is to hold more of an open application process to get more local institutions involved, and to potentially attract researchers from outside the region.

Read more about the Eagles expanding their Autism Challenge beneficiary pool here.

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