SPARK Translational Research Program Pilot Grants: Request for Proposals

Program overview:

The Stanford SPARK program supports the discovery and development of novel therapeutics and diagnostics that address unmet medical needs. SPARK offers funding, education regarding the multi-disciplinary product development process, and project-specific mentorship to enable faculty and trainees to advance promising research discoveries to the clinic and/or commercial sector. Much of the mentorship and education is provided by volunteer advisors from the local biotechnology ecosystem. Education and mentorship are available across the entire spectrum of drug and diagnostic development including the following areas: intellectual property and patent law; assay development; optimization of therapeutic chemical structures; preclinical pharmacology and proof of concept studies; preclinical safety and pharmacokinetics; regulatory science and regulatory agency expectations; clinical study design and conduct; and commercialization/start-up company funding and incorporation. Approximately 60% of projects that complete SPARK advance to commercial partnerships and/or clinical trials.

For more information on SPARK, please visit: sparkmed.stanford.edu.

Deadline: Friday, September 25, 2020, 6 p.m. 

Amount of Funding:

Typical grants range from $25,000 to $50,000 per year and depend on the individual proposal. Awards will be granted for the period from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021. 

Project selection:

Proposals will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of Stanford faculty and industry experts. Based on the compiled rankings, finalists will be invited to present an oral pitch to the review panel in early December, 2020. The number of proposals selected for awards will be dependent on available funding and awardees will be notified before the end of December, 2020. 

Proposals should only be submitted to one Stanford CTSA pilot program (SPARK, SPADA or Biodesign) and cannot receive funding from multiple seed grant programs.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following three criteria:

• scope and/or severity of unmet medical need
• novelty of approach
• feasibility of the path to clinic

Program Mission:

The Stanford SPARK Program is a partnership between university and industry advisors to:

• educate faculty, fellows and graduate students on the translational research process
• help advance novel therapeutics and diagnostics to the clinic or commercial sector
• promote efficient, cost-effective and innovative approaches to drug discovery and development