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Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities

Pilot grants for trainees

Fund your research project

The Wendy Klag Center sponsors competitive research grants to graduate students and postdocs at the Bloomberg School.

We offer grants of up to $15,000 to students in good academic standing who are currently enrolled in a degree program or who are postdoctoral fellows at the Bloomberg School.  Applicants can use funds to support research or training needs and for stipend support.

Students receiving these awards will be designated as Wendy Klag Scholars, continuing a tradition of scholarship already in place through the Wendy Klag Memorial Fund.

Information for 2024 grants

  • January 12, 2024: Call for research proposals announced
  • March 15, 2024: Research proposals due
  • The Center will hold an optional grant prep workshop and Q&A session before the application due date. Details to be announced later
  • Please contact Michelle Landrum Trice, mlandru5@jhu.edu, for more information.

How to apply

Proposal reviewers are looking well-formulated, innovative research projects that are consistent with the Center’s mission, particularly research showing the power of public health approaches in autism research. 

The body of the application can be no longer than five single-spaced pages and should contain an abstract, introduction, specific aims, significance, methods, and any relevant preliminary data or information.

The significance section should include how this work will bring something new to the field of autism and developmental disabilities. Proposals should be targeted to a broad audience so that reviewers from different backgrounds can understand what is planned and why.

Student applicants should include research goals, a detailed budget justification, and a current Bloomberg School transcript. A letter of support from a full-time Bloomberg School faculty advisor who will supervise the project is required.

Collaborations with other institutions, including the Kennedy Krieger Institute, state or local governments, or non-profit, require both a letter of support from the affiliated program supervisor and a letter from a Bloomberg School faculty member to confirm that student skills (e.g., analytical) are commensurate with project demands.

Please send your completed application to Michelle Landrum Trice, mlandru5@jhu.edu.

 

How are awards decided?

Applications are reviewed by an ad hoc committee of faculty members with expertise in the area.  Reviews are scored on the overall proposal, the research proposal (approach), the applicability to autism spectrum disorder, and the likelihood of garnering federal support in the future.

All awardees must agree to engage with the growing community of investigators focused on autism and developmental disabilities across the Bloomberg School, Johns Hopkins University, and the Kennedy Krieger Institute. This includes seminars, journal clubs, and symposia held throughout the year.

 

Meet our 2022 Klag Scholars

Elizabeth Stone, a predoctoral candidate in the Department of Health Policy and Management, is investigating “The role of state agencies in mental health services for individuals with co-occurring intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental illness.”

Xueqi “Snow” Qu, a predoctoral student in the Department of Mental Health, is investigating “Association of carnitine and acyl-carnitine in maternal and cord blood with ASD in offspring.” She will be working with the Boston Birth Cohort led by Dr. Xiaobin Wang.