SPARK Norway is
- An innovation programme designed to increase the success rate of projects with high potential impact, addressing critical unmet needs in the life science domain
- Designed to increase the maturity of discoveries in academia and hospitals towards practical solutions through education, mentorship, advising and milestone-based funding
- Based on the original Stanford SPARK programme for clinical research, which has achieved a translational success rate of > 50%
- Developed in close collaboration with the two other European SPARK sites – SPARK Berlin and SPARK Finland
- Led by UiO:Life Science and supported by University of Oslo (UiO) top management, Inven2 and Oslo University Hospital (OUS)
- Application for admission through annual open calls
Who can apply?
Any University of Oslo (UiO), Oslo University Hospital (OUS) or Akershus University Hospital (Ahus) affiliate (faculty, hospital, postdoctoral fellow, or graduate student team) is welcome to apply. However, at least one person in the project team must be employed at UiO.
The project leader of the application is expected to coordinate the team and participate in all SPARK Norway activities. The project leader does not have to be the most senior member of the team.
For project leaders who are not employed at UiO a project team member employed at UiO must be named in the application. All funding will be transferred via the UiO department of this project member.
Ideas in all phases, from very early to more developed, are eligible.
The application process
Step 2: Selection of finalists from the first open call by our SPARK Norway management team and invited experts. Finalists get an invitation to pitch their project before our external SPARK Norway review panel.
Step 3: Projects selected for admission to the SPARK Norway programme will receive guidance and Full SPARKees will receive financial support. Project teams will present their project status to the SPARK Norway community in regular meetings.
How does it work?
- All projects will be treated confidentially
- Initial review of the projects will be done by the SPARK Norway management team where all the SPARK Norway partners and invited experts are represented
- Finalists will be evaluated by a highly competent review panel with representatives from academic, financial, clinical, regulatory and industrial environments
- All finalists will be invited to give a pitch before the final rank is made by the expert panel
- Projects that are accepted to the SPARK programme will commit to a milestone plan
- Two forms of admission:
- Full SPARKee: The project is admitted for two years, and will receive up to NOK 500 000 per year based on the accomplishment of milestones
- Prospect SPARKee: The projects are evaluated as high potential, but too early. These projects will be admitted for one year without funding. If the agreed milestones are achieved during the first year, the projects can apply for direct admission as Full SPARKee for two consecutive years with funding of up to NOK 500 000 per year based on the accomplishment of milestones
- Mentors and advisors are assigned to the projects
- Projects will meet regularly with the mentors and advisors
- Closed SPARK Norway mentoring sessions will be held regularly for all SPARK teams (SPARKees), mentors and advisors
- Open SPARK Norway Educational Forum will be held regularly with invited speakers in relevant areas
Your benefits
- Funds to increase the success rate of the project
- Advice from volunteer industry leaders
- Mentored project management support
- Establish defensible intellectual property
- Learn what translation from idea to innovation is all about
- Become educated on relevant areas of product development
- Cross "the valley of death"
- Bring your invention to the market and/or clinic
- Be a member of the SPARK international network
- Participate in a community of inventors and entrepreneurs
- Gain access to investors and experts on commercialization
The SPARK Norway management team
The SPARK Norway management team is led by administrative leader of UiO:Life Science Morten Egeberg and has representatives from the SPARK Norway partners University of Oslo, Inven2, Oslo University Hospital, the Association of Pharmaceutical Industry in Norway (LMI), the Norwegian Medical Products Agency, ShareLab, Aleap, The Centre for Digital Life Norway and the clusters Oslo Cancer Cluster, The Life Science Cluster, Nansen Neuroscience Network and Norway Health Tech.
For queries contact us on sparknorway@lifescience.uio.no