Information about the SPARK programme
What is Social Innovation?
Social innovation is an innovation paradigm focused on increasing the social good. Unlike initiatives aimed at securing patents or commercializing research, social innovation projects seek to impact society through knowledge transfers. Examples include the adoption of research-based apps in hospitals or schools or the integration of new research findings into governance practices.
Defining social innovation is challenging, as it encompasses any project that fosters beneficial change and improves existing social practices. A key characteristic of these projects is the accelerated transfer of knowledge from research to application compared to traditional routes.
Moreover, successful social innovation often relies on sustained changes in practice, necessitating collaboration between researchers and various stakeholders. These stakeholders can range from specific institutions within a sector or governmental level to non-traditional partners like NGOs or vulnerable social groups, working together to achieve long-lasting societal advancements.
What is SPARK Social Innovation?
SPARK Social Innovation is a two-year innovation programme that will help you to further develop ideas within social innovation. Researchers from UiO can apply to be included in the programme and the 800 000 NOK project funding, divided over two payments of 400 000 NOK (one each year) following a milestone plan.
Central to this programme is a close follow-up for selected projects, and project leaders will be appointed their own mentor to assist them along the journey. There will further be workshops where the different projects can meet to present their work and share challenges and solutions with each other.
SPARK Social Innovation also facilitates open events in the form of so-called Educational Forums. The topics range from the highly theoretical to the very practical, with both internal and external contributors. Presentations are followed by collective discussions with the presenter. Anyone who wants to, both from UiO and from outside, can participate in these events.
There are a few variations to SPARK programmes around the world, though SPARK Social Innovation is unique. University of Oslo is the first university to develop their own version of a SPARK programme with such a broad approach to bringing research and knowledge into the society.
What characterises a good project for SPARK Social Innovation?
There are no absolute criteria that a potential project should fulfil, so the list below should just be understood as a guidance to help you conceptualise a suitable project:
- The project should be concrete and delineated, with defined milestones to be achieved with the means available through the funding
- The project should fit within the two-year programme
- The project should benefit from having a mentor that can connect the project participants to a network of actors outside of academia
- The SPARK Social Innovation funding is not meant to assist research publication or merely be a fund for science communication. It should rather aim at developing a product (in a wide sense of the word) that can improve an existing practice
Social innovation should be understood as an open concept that can capture heterogenous projects. Thinking of research findings in terms of innovation might seem foreign to many researchers. We therefore encourage you to try to think of your research with a social innovation lens, and you might find that your project fits the description!
The application process
The faculties/centres/museums are now invited to identify and possibly prioritise potential projects for the SPARK Social Innovation programme. The projects that are submitted should be limited and relatively specific, they must fit a two-year development process and clearly benefit from the mentor scheme (see above). It must also be possible to define milestones for progress and the need for resources must of course be in proportion to the funds available. The potential impact of each project will be key, in the sense that the results are put to use by society, be it by politicians, authorities, schools or targeted social groups.
- Each faculty can submit up to 3 proposals, and each museum/centre up to 2 proposals. The list of prioritized applications should be submitted in ePhorte as soon as possible and no later than 30th September. Each proposal must include the name of the project manager, the preliminary project title and a few sentences describing the project.
The call, including a template for applications, is available here. The deadline for sending in the application is 30th September. Note that your faculty might have an internal deadline that is set earlier. All applications must follow the template (see link above) that is available on the call page. This means that they must consist of a project description, motivation letter, a simple budget and a CV for the project manager. Applications are submitted via the online form linked on the call page. Please note that only the applications that are prioritised by the faculties/centres/museums will be processed further.
A small, internal expert panel will then select 10-15 project proposals that are invited to pitch their project in front of a large and interdisciplinary composed panel. The internal panel will make an assessment of whether there are applications that are weak/immature and thus have little chance of receiving funding, but will also ensure that there is a good academic width in the projects that proceed (portfolio approach) to pitching. It is expected that only a limited number of applications will be stopped in the first assessment, but this of course depends on the total number of applications.
The pitching will take place in November 2024, and the composed panel's assessments will then be used to select among the projects. A final decision on funding will be made by the rectorate and announced at the end of the year. The granted projects will then start up early 2025.
The two phases of the application
Please note that the two phases have the same deadline, 30th September, of sending in the applications to SPARK Social Innovation. However, there might be individual deadlines for research project to get in touch with their respective faculty.
Phase 1:
The faculties/units should send a list of 2-3 prioritized projects through the ePhorte system. The priority list should include: Project name, principal investigator/project leader, short description (a couple of sentences) of the project. Applications that are not approved/prioritized by their faculty/unit will unfortunately not be evaluated.
Phase 2 :
The approved/prioritized applicants by each faculty/unit must submit a full application by using the provided application template and the web form below.
Steps after being approved/prioritized by your faculty/unit
Step 1: Once approved/prioritized by your faculty/unit, please fill out the application template and submit it using the form below by 30th September 2024. Contact UiO:Energy and Environment if you have any questions about the application template.
Step 2: An internal panel will select 10-15 projects to pitch their ideas before a broad review panel. This pitching is scheduled to take place in November 2024.
Step 3: Projects selected for SPARK Social Innovation program will get mentoring and financial support (up to 400 000 NOK per year – maximum two years based on the accomplishment of milestones). 4-6 projects will be selected in this application round, and the expected start of the projects is January 2025.
Selection Criteria
Below are the main criteria that will be used during the evaluation and selection of projects (not in prioritized order).
- Is the project addressing an unmet need/social challenge?
- Is the project expected to have an impact to solve this?
- Is the project informed/building on an existing research basis?
- Is the project contributing with a new solution/novelty/uniqueness to this research basis?
- Is the project of interest to relevant partners or collaborators?
- Is the current development stage of the project idea ready to be implemented/ operate at its initially planned scale?
- Is the project scalable? Can it be implemented at a larger scale in the future (other regions, other sectors, and/or other countries)?
- Is the team suitable to pursue the project? Is there sufficient motivation and competencies in the team?
- Is mentoring and funding through SPARK support helpful for the project applicant’s motives?
- Is mentoring and funding through SPARK support helpful for the visions for the project?
Application template and web form
Download the application template here.
Please fill out the application template and upload it in the web form.