The John And Lorna Wing Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £167,589 (FY 2023-24)
• Decision Time: Variable - announced through periodic calls for proposals
• Geographic Focus: UK-based, primarily supporting autism research
• Application Method: Periodic calls for proposals advertised on website

Contact Details

Website: www.johnandlornawingfoundation.org

Email: info@johnandlornawingfoundation.org

Phone: 020 7833 2299

Address: The Foundation Administrator, The John and Lorna Wing Foundation, C/O The National Autistic Society, 391-393 City Road, London EC1V 1NG

Overview

The John and Lorna Wing Foundation (registered charity 1156443) was established in her lifetime by Dr Lorna Wing to continue her pioneering work in autism research. Named after Dr Lorna Wing and her late husband Dr John Wing (and dedicated to their memory and that of their daughter Susan), the foundation exists to fund research into all aspects of autism and ensure the results are published. Dr Lorna Wing died in 2014, having appointed the current trustees to administer the trust according to her wishes. The foundation spent £167,589 on charitable activities in the financial year ending March 2024. Dr Wing, together with Dr Judith Gould, conducted groundbreaking work in the 1970s on the epidemiology of autism which led to the concept of the autism spectrum. In 2022, the foundation launched the Information Autism website (www.informationautism.org), providing impartial, scientifically accurate and accessible information on autism and interventions.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation supports multiple types of funding:

• Research Scholarships: University-based research scholarships for autism research at all levels
• Travel Grants: Travel funding in furtherance of research purposes
• Maintenance Grants: Support for specific areas of study, with particular interest in helping full autistic participation and involvement in research
• Seed Funding: Early-stage research funding for innovative projects (e.g., Scottish Autism's Centre for Practice Innovation)
• Website Funding: Ongoing support for the Information Autism website providing intervention information

Priority Areas

The foundation supports research into all aspects of autism, with particular emphasis on:

• Projects holding particular benefit for autistic people and their families
• Research with full autistic participation and involvement
• Under-researched areas in autism
• Collaborative research involving autistic individuals and the academic community
• Policy initiatives and innovative studies on autism-related issues
• Research focusing on autistic girls and women (an area of particular current interest)
• Relational understanding of autism support and enabling interactions between practitioners and autistic people

What They Fund

• Academic research at universities and institutions of higher education
• Autistic community-led research
• Charity-associated autism projects
• Doctoral research (examples include Ruth Moyse's doctoral work on autistic girls and unauthorized school absence)

Selection Criteria

Projects must demonstrate:

• High scientific and ethical quality
• Clear impact potential
• Collaboration involving autistic individuals
• Addressing important issues for autistic people, families, carers, and researchers

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The foundation is governed by four trustees appointed by Dr Lorna Wing:

Dr Judith Gould: Lead Consultant at the NAS Lorna Wing Centre for Autism. Gould worked alongside Lorna Wing from the 1970s, conducting the groundbreaking epidemiological research that established the concept of the autism spectrum and developed the 'triad of impairments' still used in autism diagnosis today. Together they developed the Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO). Gould served as Director of the Lorna Wing Centre before retiring from that position in 2015.

Richard Mills: Research Director of both the National Autistic Society and Research Autism. Mills has been pioneering better understanding and acceptance of autism since starting work in the NHS in the late 1960s, reflecting over 45 years of commitment to supporting autistic individuals. He also serves as a trustee of AT-autism.

Ruth Moyse: Director and Associate consultant at AT-Autism and Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Psychology at the University of Southampton. Dr Moyse's doctoral participatory research at the University of Reading, which explored the experiences of adolescent autistic girls who stop attending mainstream secondary schools, was funded by the John and Lorna Wing Foundation.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The foundation operates through periodic calls for proposals rather than accepting rolling applications. Calls for proposals are advertised on their website at www.johnandlornawingfoundation.org.

Eligibility: The foundation accepts applications from:

• Academia and universities
• Autistic individuals
• Charities and organizations associated with autism

Important Note: The trustees will not correspond about applications except for specific calls for proposals and approved projects. Applicants should monitor the website for announcements of funding opportunities.

Decision Timeline

The foundation operates on a variable timeline based on:

• Priorities agreed by the trustees
• Amount of resource available at the time
• Changing needs and circumstances of the autism community

Decision timelines are specific to each call for proposals and will be communicated when funding rounds are announced.

Application Success Factors

Based on the foundation's stated priorities and funded projects:

Autistic Involvement is Essential: The foundation explicitly states that their “support for projects is decided on priorities agreed by the trustees and will always involve collaboration and autistic involvement, and participation.” This is non-negotiable.

Focus on Practical Benefit: The foundation prioritizes research “especially areas that are thought to hold particular benefit for autistic people and their families.” Applications should clearly articulate real-world impact.

Under-researched Areas: The foundation has particular interest in “helping full autistic participation and involvement in research and the investigation of under-researched areas.”

Quality and Ethics: Projects must demonstrate “high scientific and ethical quality” and clear impact potential.

Examples of Funded Work:

• Scottish Autism's Centre for Practice Innovation: Seed funding for research on relational understanding of autism support and emotion-focused practice
• Ruth Moyse's doctoral research: Participatory research using visual methods and life history interviews to understand autistic girls' experiences of leaving mainstream education
• Information Autism website: Ongoing funding for impartial, evidence-based information on autism interventions

Current Interest Areas: The foundation has shown particular interest in girls and women on the autism spectrum, reflecting Dr Judith Gould's research focus and Dr Lorna Wing's later work in this area.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Wait for calls: Don't submit unsolicited applications - monitor the website for periodic funding announcements
• Centre autistic voices: Applications must demonstrate meaningful collaboration with and participation of autistic people, not just research about them
• Align with the legacy: The foundation continues Dr Lorna Wing's work - understanding her pioneering research on the autism spectrum and diagnostic approaches will help frame applications appropriately
• Focus on under-researched areas: Particularly girls and women, relational approaches to support, and areas that directly benefit autistic people and families
• Quality over quantity: The foundation spent £167,589 in FY 2023-24, suggesting selective, impactful funding rather than numerous small grants
• Scientific rigour required: Applications must meet high scientific and ethical standards given the trustees' research backgrounds
• Be patient with process: The foundation operates based on available resources and changing community needs, not fixed annual cycles

References

• The John and Lorna Wing Foundation official website: www.johnandlornawingfoundation.org
• Charity Commission for England and Wales, charity registration 1156443: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1156443
• “John and Lorna Wing Foundation to fund new research collaboration,” Scottish Autism, September 2020: https://www.scottishautism.org/news/john-and-lorna-wing-foundation-fund-new-research-collaboration
• "Launch of the 'Information Autism' website on autism and interventions," Autism Europe, August 17, 2022: https://www.autismeurope.org/blog/2022/08/17/launch-of-the-information-autism-website-on-autism-and-interventions/
• "Lorna Wing & Judith Gould: Pioneers in Autism Research," The Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation: https://www.wimlf.org/blog/lorna-wing-judith-gould-pioneers-in-autism-research
• Financial data from Charity Commission annual accounts for financial year ending March 31, 2024