Application Process

1

Program Referral and Project Prereview

Full applications for SPARK Awards are solicited by invitation only following referral from CU Innovations Licensing Managers or the SPARK|REACH Team. Projects are reviewed based on various criteria, including unmet need, scientific merit, intellectual property position, market potential, commercial path, and time to market. Eligible, competitive projects are invited to submit a full application. Please review the “What We Fund” section before contacting your Licensing Manager or the SPARK|REACH Team.

2

Full Application Preparation (invitation only)

Applicants invited to submit a full application are encouraged to utilize the commercialization resources provided on the SPARK website to prepare their applications. Applicants will also receive support from Licensing Managers, the SPARK team, and subject matter experts to prepare their applications. Applications are currently solicited once a year in the early fall.

3

Application Review - External Review Board

Full applications go through three rounds of 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, FDA and CMS representatives, and commercialization experts for scientific rigor and commercial potential.

5

Application Review - Pitch Presentations

Round 3: Project Pitches - applicants are invited to pitch to the CU Innovations team and SPARK|REACH External Review Board. Pitch presentations are scheduled for Friday, January 28, 2022.

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.

University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus

Denver | Anschutz

Locations

Tools

Schools and Colleges

CU Denver

CU Anschutz Medical Campus

SPARK | REACH Colorado

SPARK Award Application Process

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

Program Referral and Project Prereview

Full Application Preparation (invitation only)

Application Review - External Review Board

Application Review - NIH REACH Technology Guidance Committee

Application Review - Pitch Presentations

Award Selection

Important Dates

August 2, 2021

September 28, 2021

January 28, 2022

May 1, 2022

CU Innovations

CU Anschutz

Fitzsimons Building