History of National Alliance for Autism Research
The story of NAAR begins with Karen and Eric London and their son, Zachary, who was diagnosed with autism when he was twenty-two months old.
As the Londons became immersed in autism and working with their son, they became aware of the dearth of serious research available on autism spectrum disorders. Anxious to donate money to autism research, they were amazed that there was not a single nonprofit organization in the U.S. dedicated to this cause. Frustrated by the apparent lack of interest in autism research, they began to think of how they could make a difference — not only for Zachary, but for other children and adults living with autism.
"Do something about it, if you are so concerned," were the words of a close family friend that initially got Karen thinking about how to start an organization dedicated to autism research and what role it could play in finding treatments and, one day, a cure.
A corporate attorney by training, Karen began to investigate the nation's leading disease-specific nonprofit groups and consider if autism could benefit from a similar organization. As the weeks and months progressed, she became more active in local autism organizations and attended conferences, asking difficult questions about the lack of autism research that existed in the country. Eric, a psychiatrist who had spent several years engaged in Alzheimer's and other brain research, had also noticed his growing caseload of patients with autism who had few treatment options.
In 1994, the Princeton-based National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) was incorporated, becoming the first national nonprofit organization in the country dedicated to funding and accelerating biomedical research exclusively for autism spectrum disorders.
NAAR assembled its first board of trustees by attracting physicians, professors, and business leaders to help assume legal and managerial responsibilities.
Operating out of the basement in the Londons' home, the brand new organization quickly recruited leading scientists from the nation's top universities and research centers to help identify areas in autism research that need to be funded. This collection of esteemed scientists comprised NAAR's prestigious and all-volunteer Scientific Advisory Board. NAAR's Scientific Advisory Board was the first of its kind ever to be assembled to guide a research agenda for autism.
NAAR also assembled an Honorary Board — including musicians and composers Wynton Marsalis and Branford Marsalis, actors Joe Mantegna and Aidan Quinn, and football legends Dan Marino and Doug Flutie — to lend their talents and resources to raising money and awareness for autism research. Like NAAR's Board of Trustees, most members of the Honorary Board have a family member with autism.
In 1995, NAAR mailed its first appeal letter. By 1996, the organization announced the availability of funding for biomedical research in autism and made its first request for proposals. In 1997, NAAR put biomedical research on the map when it awarded five grants, each totaling approximately $30,000, to pioneering autism researchers. Three of those initial five researchers have attracted larger, multimillion dollar grants from the National Institutes of Health based on their autism pilot studies initially funded by NAAR, exactly as NAAR hoped would occur.
To date, NAAR has committed nearly $30 million to fund more than 270 autism research projects, fellowships, and collaborative programs worldwide — more than any other non-governmental organization. This funding includes support for the Autism Tissue Program and research partnerships with the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
NAAR's rapid growth and the impact it has made on autism research have been nothing short of incredible. NAAR's funding of pilot studies and collaborative research projects — as well as its advocacy for increased government funding — have played a key role in the increased funding for autism research at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. In addition, NAAR's WALK F.A.R. for NAAR autism walkathons — launched in 2000 — successfully spread awareness about the critical need for more autism research in communities across the country.
After achieving many milestones in its eleven-year history, NAAR joined forces with Autism Speaks in early 2006. This merger created the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to autism in the nation.
Click here to see NAAR's 2005 Annual Report.
Click here to see select financial information.
As the Londons became immersed in autism and working with their son, they became aware of the dearth of serious research available on autism spectrum disorders. Anxious to donate money to autism research, they were amazed that there was not a single nonprofit organization in the U.S. dedicated to this cause. Frustrated by the apparent lack of interest in autism research, they began to think of how they could make a difference — not only for Zachary, but for other children and adults living with autism.
"Do something about it, if you are so concerned," were the words of a close family friend that initially got Karen thinking about how to start an organization dedicated to autism research and what role it could play in finding treatments and, one day, a cure.
A corporate attorney by training, Karen began to investigate the nation's leading disease-specific nonprofit groups and consider if autism could benefit from a similar organization. As the weeks and months progressed, she became more active in local autism organizations and attended conferences, asking difficult questions about the lack of autism research that existed in the country. Eric, a psychiatrist who had spent several years engaged in Alzheimer's and other brain research, had also noticed his growing caseload of patients with autism who had few treatment options.
In 1994, the Princeton-based National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) was incorporated, becoming the first national nonprofit organization in the country dedicated to funding and accelerating biomedical research exclusively for autism spectrum disorders.
NAAR assembled its first board of trustees by attracting physicians, professors, and business leaders to help assume legal and managerial responsibilities.
Operating out of the basement in the Londons' home, the brand new organization quickly recruited leading scientists from the nation's top universities and research centers to help identify areas in autism research that need to be funded. This collection of esteemed scientists comprised NAAR's prestigious and all-volunteer Scientific Advisory Board. NAAR's Scientific Advisory Board was the first of its kind ever to be assembled to guide a research agenda for autism.
NAAR also assembled an Honorary Board — including musicians and composers Wynton Marsalis and Branford Marsalis, actors Joe Mantegna and Aidan Quinn, and football legends Dan Marino and Doug Flutie — to lend their talents and resources to raising money and awareness for autism research. Like NAAR's Board of Trustees, most members of the Honorary Board have a family member with autism.
In 1995, NAAR mailed its first appeal letter. By 1996, the organization announced the availability of funding for biomedical research in autism and made its first request for proposals. In 1997, NAAR put biomedical research on the map when it awarded five grants, each totaling approximately $30,000, to pioneering autism researchers. Three of those initial five researchers have attracted larger, multimillion dollar grants from the National Institutes of Health based on their autism pilot studies initially funded by NAAR, exactly as NAAR hoped would occur.
To date, NAAR has committed nearly $30 million to fund more than 270 autism research projects, fellowships, and collaborative programs worldwide — more than any other non-governmental organization. This funding includes support for the Autism Tissue Program and research partnerships with the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
NAAR's rapid growth and the impact it has made on autism research have been nothing short of incredible. NAAR's funding of pilot studies and collaborative research projects — as well as its advocacy for increased government funding — have played a key role in the increased funding for autism research at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. In addition, NAAR's WALK F.A.R. for NAAR autism walkathons — launched in 2000 — successfully spread awareness about the critical need for more autism research in communities across the country.
After achieving many milestones in its eleven-year history, NAAR joined forces with Autism Speaks in early 2006. This merger created the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to autism in the nation.
Click here to see NAAR's 2005 Annual Report.
Click here to see select financial information.
back to top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
