The National Institutes of Health reduced its spending on autism research by an estimated $31 million during the first four months of 2025, according to a Reuters analysis of federal data.
This reduction placed significant strain on a field that relied on federal agencies for more than 82% of its funding in 2020, per the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee.
Researchers surveyed by the Autism Science Foundation reported at least $70 million in lost funding, with many early-career scientists considering career changes, as noted by Disability Scoop.
The Eagles Autism Foundation has emerged as a critical alternative source of capital during this period of fiscal uncertainty.
The organization’s annual Autism Challenge raised a record $10 million in 2026, according to NBC Philadelphia.
Ryan Hammond, executive director of the foundation, emphasized the necessity of private support during the current downturn.
“Our funding is needed more than ever, because that funding has gone down,” Hammond told the Eagles Autism Foundation.
The foundation awarded $10.8 million across 54 projects in 2025, focusing on high-risk, high-reward research that often deviates from safer federal grant priorities.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie also spearheaded the launch of the Lurie Autism Institute in 2025 alongside Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine.
The family foundations provided $50 million to establish the facility, as reported by The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
The institute is led by physician-scientist Eric Morrow, who describes the initiative as a generational opportunity to apply two decades of genetic progress to patient care, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
While some foundations are pooling resources to offset losses, experts like Alonzo Plough of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation warn that private entities cannot fully replace billions in federal spending, as told to WHYY.
Despite these challenges, the Eagles continue to expand their international reach, recently committing $670,000 to support research and fellowships in London, per The Philadelphia Inquirer.