Full applications for SPARK Awards are solicited by invitation only following review of the Letter of Intent (LOI). LOIs are reviewed on a rolling basis to ensure eligibility of the PI and the technology for the program. Please review the “What We Fund” section for eligibility criteria.

When a Campus Partner contacts UComm with a request for a web project, UComm will schedule an initial meeting, during this meeting we will: 

1. Do introductions
2. Explore the web needs.
3. Explore the goals and purpose of the web project. 

UComm will ask the Campus Partner: 

1. What is their current website, if any?
2. Are there inspiring websites to use as a reference?
3. Who on the Campus Partner team can act as project manager?
   
   1. UComm can advise and make recommendations, but someone on the Campus Partner side needs to be responsible for the content.
   2. As the Subject Matter Expert, the Campus Partner is the most important member of this project.
4. Does anyone on their team have edit access in the CMS?
5. Is there a timeline? 

After Meeting Next steps:

• UComm will gather all the information they can so the project can be evaluated and approved.  
• UComm can’t guarantee if or when the project will happen, but after this initial meeting we recommend that the campus partner think about: 
  • their goals for a website,
  • who needs to be involved on the content side of the project,
  • who would be invited to working calls/update calls,
  • what websites they are inspired by.

Our Web Analytics Support Specialist provides data and analysis about how your website is performing and whether it is achieving your department’s objectives and targeted audiences. Services include:

• Setting up access to Google Analytics, a tool for historical reporting of users, pageviews, and specific interactions on your website.
• Reviewing your GA3 and GA4 dashboards for tracking and monitoring and creating customized data visualizations.
• Setting up access to Siteimprove, a tool to improve accessibility, readability, and quality assurance.
• Reviewing the Siteimprove dashboard and how to make changes to your website to improve performance.
• Reviewing SEO after website changes have been implemented.

After you finish reviewing the recommended sitemap and URL, the Web Development team will create your website in Sitefinity. We'll let you know when the website is ready and you can begin building.

If you plan to come to campus, please visit the safe return website for guidance and requirements.

Before arriving on campus, you must take a one-time SkillSoft training. And each day you plan to be on campus, you should take your own temperature and complete a daily health attestation.

There are also several return-to-campus resources and videos that will be helpful as you prepare.

If the project is approved, UComm will contact the Campus Partner to set up the kick-off call and recommend that they forward the kick-off call invitation to people who need to be in calls throughout the project. The invitation will include a link to this Website Project web page. 

During the call, we will: 

1. Discuss scope, deliverables and timeline
2. Make a plan for check-in calls
   1. How often?
   2. Who needs to attend?
3. Share the MS Teams project group, including:
   1. Demonstrating the project hub for chats, files, and resources.
   2. Sharing template for what is needed for a good webpage.
   3. Describing the workflow for developing and finalizing content.
4. Share a web architecture (sitemap) concept based on current website (if it exists), websites the Campus Partner has shared, and websites of similar departments.
   1. Make adjustments to sitemap based on input during call. 

    

Action items: 

UComm 

• Make any changes to the SharePoint folder, files, and sitemap that may have come up during the call. 
• Design exploration. 

Partner 

• Once they have received the SharePoint folder, start gathering and/or writing content for each page. 

Our UX/IA Designer assists you with re-evaluating and making changes to your site’s navigation and selecting page layouts (including the homepage) to improve user experience and user engagement. Services include:

• Designing a new navigation and IA structure based on best practices, competitor site analysis, and your specific site’s goals and needs.
• Homepage (and other select site pages, based on need) redesign guidelines for best user experience, with a focus on layout and content organization.
• Usability testing, which can be incorporated before making any changes to your site, during the design phase, and after your site has launched. Usability testing ensures that you are making the most impactful and meaningful changes to your site’s structure, layout, and content by testing real users and gathering both quantitative and qualitative data, as well as user feedback on the site’s look and feel.

Applicants invited to submit a full application receive support in preparing their application by participating in a bootcamp. Refer to the Resources tab for supports provided to help in preparing your application. 

The Campus Partner works with their department to gather and write the web content. And UComm will do light design exploration and preparation, along with advising the Campus Partner. 

The SharePoint folder will be organized to match the sitemap, with a Word document template for each page. The Campus Partner can draft, comment, and revise each Word document.

When a document is finalized, the Campus Partner will leave a comment and mention James Hough so UComm knows they are clear to build that page.

This project phase can make up 50-75% of the project timeline. 

Our Visual/UI Designer offers advice on site construction and assists as you build out the first few pages of your site. Design consultations can be a single meeting or recurring touchpoints. Services include:

• Widget Selection: Sometimes the best choice for displaying your content isn’t the most obvious. We’ll help you decide which widget to use and show you how to best use it.
• Page Layout: Our different template options offer various benefits. We go over how to position your items on the page for the best UX. White space, padding, margins.
• Image Selection and Optimization: Choosing the best imagery for your content. Where/when to use images. How to optimize them for the web.
• Mobile Experience: Ensuring your content is usable and accessible for phones and tablets as well as on desktop.
• Design Enhancement: Once the basic design foundation is established, we can help explore various customizations using Bootstrap and Utility classes.

Full applications go through three rounds of external review. Applications that do not proceed to the next round will receive feedback as to why their projects were not selected as well as how to make a more competitive application. Round 1: SPARK External Review Board - written applications are reviewed by industry professionals for commercial potential as well as path and time to market.

As the Campus Partner delivers final content for pages, UComm can begin building the website. 

This project phase can make up 25-50% of the project timeline, and it often overlaps with the Writing Content step. 

This step will include:

Check-in Calls

Weekly or biweekly 30-minute calls allow the project team to update each other on the status of their current action items, ask and answer questions, and identify action items for after the check-in call. 

These calls help remove blocks from the Writing Content and Building Website steps. 

Build a Communication Hub in MS Teams 

UComm will create a project SharePoint folder, which will connect to a dedicated MS Teams group. The Teams group will be the main communication and file-sharing hub for the project. Chat, Files, and SharePoint Website will be available for all members of the project. 

Use the Teams group for ongoing communication throughout the duration of the website project. Use the @mention feature to ensure that the correct people are notified of a post or reply. 

Soft Launch 

UComm will publish the website, hidden from web crawlers and the website search index. This Soft Launch allows the Campus Partner to fully test drive their new website and share it with important stakeholders before Final Launch. 

The Campus Partner will provide feedback and revisions during this step. 

Quality Assurance (QA)

UComm will conduct quality assurance testing on the website during the soft launch feedback period, including: 

• Testing buttons and links. 
• SEO – checking title and description, no duplicates. 
• Mobile user experience. 

During QA, UComm will make revisions based on Campus Partner feedback. 

Our Web Accessibility/UX Developer will review your site to identify updates needed to align with web accessibility standards and best practices.

• Accessibility considerations/consultation during design phase.
• Comprehensive accessibility review for WCAG compliance for pre-launch or launched content. Includes automatic and manual testing of web content, color contrast analysis, focus and tab order testing, analysis of proper alt text and aria implementation, keyboard only usability testing, mobile and screen-reader usability testing.
• Reviewing any flagged Siteimprove accessibility issues.
• Providing a list of recommended action items if any are discovered.

You and anyone on your team that will need access to edit your website will need to complete the on-demand Sitefinity training. Register for Sitefinity training on this page.

Round 2: NIH REACH Technology Guidance Committee (TGC) - written applications are reviewed by NIH Program Officers, Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, Regulatory and Intellectual Property experts, FDA and CMS representatives for scientific rigor and commercial potential.

When your website build gets close to the finish line, you will work closely with the Web Customer Success & Training Professional to identify a launch date.

UComm will host a final call, followed up with email. This call wraps up the project and provides healthy closure to the fruitful collaboration. 

During the call, UComm will briefly demonstrate how the site works within the Content Management System, and address: 

• How to find the site, both on the web and within the CMS.
• What it looks like in the CMS view.
• Who from the Campus Partner will update pages in the CMS.
• Making plans for updating content regularly.
  • Baseline, set a reminder every 6 months. 

After completing the website goals and audiences questions, our Information Architect will create an initial sitemap and identify a recommended website URL. We will share these recommendations with you for review. We can also provide a homepage wireframe for your new website buildout.

Round 3: Project Pitches - applicants are invited to pitch to the SPARK External Review Board. Pitch presentations are scheduled for early December, 2024.

Successful applicants will be notified within seven days of the final pitch. The SPARK team will work with awardees to submit the necessary documentation to secure the OEDIT AI Proof-of-Concept portion of the SPARK Award for submission in late February / early March. Applicants must receive OEDIT approval to receive a SPARK Award.