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SPARK Award Application Process

The SPARK Award application process takes eight months and comprises the following six stages.  

Register Today for Bootcamp Sessions!

1

Letter of Intent

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.
Submit an LOI
2

Full Application Preparation and Bootcamp

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. 
Download a preview of the Application and Review Criteria
3

Application Review - External Review Board

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.
4

Application Review - NIH REACH Technology Guidance Committee

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.
5

Application Review - Pitch Presentations

Round 3: Project Pitches - applicants are invited to pitch to the SPARK|REACH External Review Board. Pitch presentations are scheduled for the end of January 2023.
6

Award Selection

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.

Important Dates

June 19, 2023

Letter of Intent (LOI) submission period opens.

1:00 pm, August 16, 2023

LOI deadline - extended.

4 - 6 pm, August 23, 2023

Bootcamp session 1:
What is the problem and how is the solution positioned?

4 - 6 pm, August 30, 2023

Bootcamp session 2:
Who are the customers, opportunities and risks?

4 - 6 pm, September 6, 2023

Bootcamp session 3:
Intellectual property and business aspects around the solution.

4 - 6 pm, September 13, 2023

Bootcamp session 4:
Regulatory and reimbursement considerations.

1:00 pm, September 27, 2023

Full application deadline.

End of January, 2024

Pitch Day.

May 1, 2024

Anticipated cohort 7 start date.

CU Innovations

CU Anschutz

Anschutz Health Sciences Building

1890 N Revere Ct

Suite 6202

Mail Stop F411

Aurora, CO 80045


303-724-6653

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