The Eagles Autism Foundation has announced grants totaling $8.1 million in support of 53 projects specializing in autism research and care.

The approved research projects will build on ongoing and effective programs and approaches that were novel, exploratory, and innovative. In addition, community grants were distributed to projects that proved to be evidence-based, were aligned with the Eagles Autism Foundation mission, and provided an immediate need in the community. Recipients include A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Center for Autism Research at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Special Olympics Pennsylvania.

“This year’s scientific review process was one of the most competitive evaluations we ever had,” said Philadelphia Eagles CEO and chair Jeffrey Lurie. “The number of submissions we received in such a short period of time speaks to how much the field of autism research and care has evolved. For far too long, autism was misunderstood, underfunded, and under-researched. While there is still more work to be done, we are now seeing autism being prioritized at the highest level by some of the most recognized institutions around the world.”

For a complete list of recipients, see the Philadelphia Eagles website.

(Photo credit: Flickr/Governor Tom Wolf)