Autism diagnoses have increased sharply since 2000, according to government figures, and by 2020 the rate among 8-year-olds reached 2.77%, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Scientists attribute at least part of the rise to increased awareness of autism and an expanding definition of the disorder. Researchers have also been investigating environmental factors. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH), a government agency, spends more than 300m ( 230m) per year researching autism. Kennedy did not give details on the research project or how much funding will be devoted to autism research.