The SPARK program is available to UConn/UConn Health faculty members, within the following parameters:

• IP: Projects should have intellectual property at their core. To be eligible, project-related UConn IP must exist or the proposed scope of work must have a high likelihood of leading to a UConn invention disclosure by the end of the initial award period.  Projects based on IP not developed by UConn are not eligible. Projects that have not produced an invention disclosure by the end of year 1 of funding will not be eligible for follow-on funding.
• Startups and License Options: If a startup related to the SPARK project exists at the time of award, an option agreement must be taken within 6 months of the award.  If a startup company related to the project is formed at any point in the future, an option agreement must be taken within six months of the startup creation.
• Effort and Salary: Although no minimum effort level is required for SPARK projects, a PI must have departmental research time available during the award period or address in the application how they will handle the time commitment required by a SPARK project. Generally speaking, SPARK is only available to tenure-track, clinical, and (Storrs/Regional Campus) APiR faculty. Research Professors / those whose positions are contingent on grant-funding (soft money positions, including UCH in-residence faculty) are not eligible. Faculty with potential SPARK projects that involve grant-dependent faculty should contact the SPARK program director before applying.
• UConn Primary Appointment: SPARK PIs must be faculty whose primary appointment is at UConn / UConn Health. Faculty with primary appointments to CCMC or Jackson Labs are not eligible to apply. PIs with a primary appointment at a TIP company are also not eligible. Individuals who are not eligible to apply as a PI may be able to serve as a collaborator/consultant on an eligible PI’s SPARK project.
• Number of submissions: Eligible faculty can only submit one LOI/full proposal per year as lead PI. Investigators may serve as collaborator on multiple projects.
• Past SPARK Winners: Projects/technologies that have received one round of initial and follow-up funding and projects/technologies that received SPARK funding prior to FY22 are not eligible for additional SPARK awards.  Prior SPARK awardees may apply for SPARK funding for new projects/technologies that are distinct and independent of those funded with past SPARK awards. All past SPARK awardees are asked to consult with the program director prior to submission to ensure eligibility.

SPARK LOIs and Proposals will be scored based on the following criteria:

Market Need—does the innovation address an unmet need and is there evidence that there is a market for the proposed solution?

• Does the applicant make a strong case that there is a need/problem that needs to be met?
• To what degree will the innovation satisfy the unmet consumer, industry or medical need?
• Does the proposal include market data and a compelling estimate as to what share of the market the innovation may realistically capture?

Innovation and Novelty—Is the innovation novel and/or does it make a significant improvement over currently-available solutions?

• Does the proposal make a convincing argument that the innovation is novel and or makes a significant improvement over currently-available solutions?
• Is there existing or the potential for intellectual property protection?
• To what degree does the innovation solve the unmet need differently (e.g., better, faster, cheaper) than the current state-of-the art?
• If novel, is the innovation a disruptive technology, a platform technology, or an incremental improvement over the current state-of-the art?

Commercialization Plan—Is there a realistic path for commercializing the innovation?

• Does the proposal present a path to bring the innovation forward to market?
• If so, is the path chosen (licensing, startup, etc.) the most promising for the innovation?
• Does the proposal contain reasonable estimates of the time needed to enter the market?
• Does the proposal present plans for future financing of the project, such as SBIR/STTR or industry investment?
• For future development, will this technology require regulatory approval?  If so, does the proposal address plans for successfully navigating the process?
• Does the applicant point to any obvious potential licenses / commercial partners for this innovation?

Approach and Feasibility—Are the activities proposed attainable in the proposed timeline and are they consistent with the high scientific/scholarly standards?

• Does the investigator/team have appropriate expertise and laboratory facilities available to conduct the work?
• Does the project include the involvement of a UConn core facility or a third party be required to complete the work (e.g prototype development)?  If so, have appropriate commitments been obtained?
• To what degree will the activities proposed de-risk and advance the development of the innovation?

SPARK awardees agree to provide regular progress reports to the OVPR during and after the award period. Reports fall into four categories:

• Consultations with TCS: Awardees are expected to connect regularly throughout the award period(s) with their point of contact within OVPR Technology Commercialization Services to discuss progress, to talk through potential problems, and to consider future steps and additional resources that may be of use. Each PI will work with their TCS contact to set up the best check-in schedule, but it is expected that consultations would happen at least on a quarterly basis.
• Six-month Reporting: After six months of each award period (typically in September/October), applicants will be asked to submit a brief progress report via the Quest Portal.  After review of this report, the second payment of the award period will be made to the award account.
  • Applies to projects that begin in FY25.
  • Additional guidelines will be provided in the near future.
• Application for Renewal/Follow-on Funding: At the end of the initial award period, awardees will have an opportunity to request follow-on funding to support continued development of their innovation. The renewal process will proceed as follows:
  • One month prior to the completion of the initial award period, awardees will receive an invitation to submit a renewal NOI (indicating whether they would like to renew, request an extension, or allow the project to close out).
  • Awardees who select the renewal option will be able to submit a renewal application in the Quest system immediately after completion of the NOI.
  • Renewal applications should include the following:
    • A brief oral presentation (20 min, followed by Q&A) on project activities and accomplishments and plans for the follow-on award period. The presentation should address the milestones agreed upon at the start of the initial award period and demonstrate that they have been satisfactorily completed.  The OVPR will reach out to awardees to schedule this presentation after receiving their follow-on funding NOI.
    • A revised scope of work for the follow-up award period, detailing proposed activities and how those activities will move the technology forward along its path to market
    • A new budget with justifications outlining how follow-up funds will be used.
    • Renewal applicants are limited to 3 pages, plus references and budget
  • Invention Disclosure(s): It is expected that all SPARK awards should lead to at least 1 UConn invention disclosure within six months of the close of the award period. Invention disclosures are required prior to receiving a second year of funding.
  • Annual Reports: Recognizing that investments made by the OVPR can often take some time to produce their full results, we will be asking that all recipients of OVPR Internal Funding, including SPARK, submit annual reports over the life of the project. This will allow us to better understand the impact of internal funding and make the case for it continuing / increasing.
  • Reporting requirements: PIs will need to prepare a brief report, using this Award Report Template to summarize project progress within one month of posting final expenses unless an extension from the OVPR has been received.
    • We’ll be interested in hearing about the results of your project,
    • the significance of those results, and
    • gathering statistics about graduate students supported, publications, external grants / patents received, other projects launched, etc.
    • Other questions may also be included as needed. The OVPR may request updates annually for up to five years following the end of the award period to track the development of the project longitudinally.