About SPARK NS
SPARK NS is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to efficiently advancing promising academic discoveries in neuroscience from the lab to the clinic.
Our Vision
Every person with a neurological disorder has safe and effective treatments and cures.14% of biomedical discoveries make it to the clinic.1
More Effective Drug Development
Close gaps in knowledge and know-how
Academic researchers often have gaps in knowledge and know-how about how to translate discoveries.
Bridge cultural divide
A cultural divide exists between academic researchers and industry that discourages collaboration.
Support translation efforts
Academia lacks the infrastructure to support researchers’ needs during translation and commercialization.
The SPARK NS Solution
Eliminate barriers that slow or prevent promising discoveries from directly benefiting patients.
Comprehensive translational research program
Our program brings academic researchers together in cohorts to learn from their peers, industry expert advisors, and SPARK NS staff.
Cohort-wide working sessions
Academic researchers and 75+ SPARK NS industry expert advisors put aside competing interests to work together for the benefit of patients in confidential meetings that everyone attends and in which all voices are heard.
Resources needed to succeed
Milestone-based funding, education in drug development, mentorship from industry expert advisors, and networking opportunities provide academic researchers with all the resources they need to advance their projects.
Developed, Refined, and Used Since 2006
The foundation of the SPARK NS program is a proven model for translational research developed, refined, and used. The originator of the model, Daria Mochly-Rosen, PhD, and Kevin Grimes, MD, play key roles at SPARK NS.
50% of projects that use the SPARK model advance.2
Our Values
Act with Urgency
We are reinventing a process that results in the failure of 86% of drug and diagnostics development efforts.
Work Together
We work in cross-disciplinary teams to share knowledge, learn from each other’s successes and failures, and collaborate so everyone can succeed.
Remove Ego from the Process
We create environments where all voices are heard and everyone can put aside competing interests for the benefit of patients.
Value Creativity and Accept Risk
We cultivate curiosity, creativity, and innovation and are prepared to tackle high-impact, high-risk endeavors.
Embrace a Growth Mindset
We continually seek ways to improve, extend, and enhance our model, programs, and operations.
Put Patients First
We bring patients’ needs into academic research at the earliest stage to help ensure that therapeutics meet an unmet need and are safe and effective.
Our People
We’re scientists, educators, project managers, industry experts, and business leaders working together to more effectively advance academic discoveries from the lab to the clinic.
Meet ourPeople
SPARK NS Parkinson’s Disease Translational Research Program, 2026 Cohort
SPARK NS invites principal investigators with promising discoveries in Parkinson's disease or autism to apply to the SPARK NS Translational Research Program, 2026 Cohort. The program will provide $2,000,000 in funding, education, mentoring, and networking opportunities over two years.
How to apply- 1.
Wong, C.H., Siah, K.W, and Lo, A.W. Estimation of clinical trial success rates and related parameters. Biostatistics 20, 273-286, . (2019).
- 2.
Kim, J.S., Kargotich, S., Lee, S.H. et al. SPARKing academic technologies across the valley of death. Nat Biotechnol 42, 339–342 (2024).