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.

Applicants invited to submit a full application 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 summer. Refer to the Resources tab for supports provided to help in preparing your application. 

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.

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.

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.

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.