Autism Transitions Research Project (ATRP) | HRSA 17 097

Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 17 097

The Autism Transitions Research Project (ATRP) is a federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). It was released as Funding Opportunity Number HRSA-17-097 under the Health activity category (CFDA 93.877) and uses a cooperative agreement funding instrument, which typically means HRSA expects substantial involvement in the funded project through collaboration, guidance, and oversight rather than simply providing funds and stepping back. The ATRP is designed to support the implementation and completion of programmatic research studies focused on adolescents and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who are in the transition period from adolescence into adulthood, a life stage where services, expectations, and support systems often shift dramatically.

The central purpose of the ATRP is to build stronger, more practical evidence about what drives healthier transitions to adulthood for autistic youth and young adults. The opportunity emphasizes outcomes across multiple parts of life, not just one domain. Applicants are expected to examine factors tied to healthy physical health, social functioning and participation, mental health and well-being, and educational or occupational outcomes. In other words, the project is looking for research that can help clarify what conditions, supports, services, and contexts are linked with better real-world adult life trajectories, such as sustaining health care, building supportive relationships, maintaining mental wellness, completing education or training, and entering or staying in meaningful employment.

A defining feature of this funding announcement is its push to move beyond research that focuses primarily on individual-level characteristics or interventions aimed only at changing the person with ASD. Instead, HRSA highlights a critical need for transitions research that targets the social environment. That includes the systems and settings around the individual, such as family supports, schools and postsecondary institutions, workplaces, health care systems, community programs, service coordination, and broader policy and societal factors that can either enable or block successful transitions. The intent is to encourage research that treats successful adulthood not as an individual achievement alone, but as something shaped by access, accommodations, social inclusion, service structures, and environmental fit.

The ATRP also aims to provide national leadership and education in the area of autism transitions research. That goal signals that the funded project is expected to do more than publish findings; it should help organize, strengthen, and disseminate knowledge in ways that are useful to multiple audiences. HRSA explicitly names researchers, service providers, policy makers, educators, autistic adolescents and young adults, families, and the general public as intended beneficiaries of the evidence base. In practice, that implies an emphasis on research products and communication approaches that can inform decisions in clinics, schools, workforce programs, community settings, and policy planning, rather than keeping results confined to academic circles.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was posted on December 8, 2016, with an original closing date of February 13, 2017. It anticipated a single award (Expected Awards: 1), suggesting HRSA intended to fund one primary recipient to carry out a major, coordinated research effort or program of studies. The listed award ceiling is shown as 0 in the source data, which usually indicates the ceiling was not specified in that particular data extract or was to be determined elsewhere in the full announcement. Eligibility is described broadly as "Others," with clarification to be found in the full text under an "Additional Information on Eligibility" section, implying that the eligible applicant pool may include certain organizations or institution types not captured by standard categories and that applicants would need to consult the full notice for exact eligibility requirements.

Overall, the ATRP is best understood as a targeted federal research investment meant to strengthen what the country knows about helping autistic youth successfully navigate the shift to adulthood, with special attention to social and systemic factors that shape outcomes. It prioritizes evidence that can guide practice and policy, and it frames transition success as multidimensional, spanning health, social life, mental health, and education and employment.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Autism Transitions Research Project (ATRP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.877.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 08, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 13, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HRSA 17 097

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