Programs

SPARK NS two-year immersive programs provide projects at any stage of development between target identification and entry into clinical trials with all the resources needed to advance from discovery to the clinic.

Vintage illustration of a brain — Source: Cajal, 1894

Programs Overview

Over the course of a two-year program, PIs of selected projects and their research teams meet to pose questions and challenges, solve problems, and learn from industry expert advisors, SPARK NS staff, and one another.

Participation as a cohort in confidential sessions and other program offerings significantly improve the chances that projects will progress from discovery to clinical trials or commercial licensing. The support each project receives varies depending on its stage of development and the skillsets and experience of project research teams.

Program Components

We provide all the resources you need to advance your project from lab to clinic.

Funding

$2,000,000¹ over two years

Education

Training and skills development

Mentorship

50+ industry expert advisors

Networking

Opportunities and introductions

What Makes Our Programs Different

SPARK NS programs use a proven model for translational research developed and defined at Stanford University at Stanford University School of Medicine since 2006. The model has an exceptional 50%² success rate at advancing discoveries through the translational phase.

Comprehensive Program

SPARK NS uniquely combines funding, education, mentorship, and networking opportunities to ensure that each project meets its translational research objectives.
Expertise

SPARK NS does not expect PIs applying to the program or their team members to have all the necessary experience and skills required to translate their research and provides missing expertise.
Collaboration

PIs and team members in a SPARK NS program are grouped into a cohort and collaborate with their peers and industry expert advisors.
Milestone-based funding

Funding awarded through SPARK NS is dispersed based on milestones identified in a development plan jointly created by SPARK NS and PIs after a project has been selected.
No IP Rights or Financial Stakes

SPARK NS does not claim ownership of any IP rights or take any financial stake in commercial products developed prior or during the program.

Selection Criteria

Applications are evaluated on three main criteria:

Unmet Need

Addresses an unmet clinical need in Parkinson’s disease

Robust Mechanism

Uses a robust and novel mechanism or approach

High probability of success

High probability of achieving objectives during two-year program

SPARK NS 2024 Program Projects

SPARK NS selected five projects for the SPARK NS 2024 Parkinson’s Disease Translational Research Program. Principal Investigators for the projects are (from left to right): Gary W. Miller PhD, Columbia University; David Sulzer, PhD, Columbia University; Matthew D. Disney, PhD, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology (University of Florida); Alice S. Chen-Plotkin, MD, University of Pennsylvania; and James H. Hurley, PhD, University of California, Berkeley.

Learn more aboutprojects

SPARK NS Parkinson’s Disease Translational Research Program, 2025 Cohort

SPARK NS is no longer accepting applications for this program. Finalists will present September 13-15, 2024. Selected projects will be notified October 4, 2024. We will release a Call for Proposals for our 2026 program in April 2025.

Not all funds awarded go directly to PIs’ laboratories. For example, work done by vetted research organizations or academic research facilities will be paid for by SPARK NS directly to the organizations from awarded funds.
Kim, J.S., Kargotich, S., Lee, S.H. et al. SPARKing academic technologies across the valley of death. Nature Biotechnology 42, 339–342 (2024).