Federal Grant Award Summary

Pennsylvania State University, operating as Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, received a $704,700 Project Grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242), awarded May 22, 2026, with completion targeted for April 30, 2029. The award funds the development and pilot testing of a Transdiagnostic Intervention for Sleep and Circadian dysfunction (TRANS-C) specifically adapted for autistic adolescents and young adults (AYA) ages 12-25 years who experience co-occurring sleep and circadian rhythm disorders that contribute to mental health complications.

The project delivers evidence-based intervention products through three primary aims: (1) iterative adaptation and pilot testing of TRANS-C with 15-24 autistic AYA participants informed by an advisory panel of autistic individuals, caregivers, medical providers, and behavioral health clinicians, with assessments of multidimensional sleep health and implementation science outcomes; (2) a pilot randomized controlled trial enrolling 90 autistic AYA comparing the adapted TRANS-C intervention against traditional TRANS-C and wait-list control conditions, with measurements of sleep health, anxiety, depression, emotion regulation, social functioning, and suicidal ideation and behavior; and (3) evaluation of implementation outcomes to determine treatment efficacy, feasibility, acceptability, engagement, and fidelity. Collectively, the project generates adapted clinical intervention protocols, implementation science data, and evidence regarding treatment effectiveness for addressing sleep and circadian dysfunction in this underserved autistic population.