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 program that will help you to further develop ideas within social innovation. Researchers from UiO can apply to be included in the program 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 program 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 programs around the world, though SPARK Social Innovation is unique. University of Oslo is the first university to develop their own version of a SPARK program with focus on doing good to the society and humanity.
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 Elements 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 for applications. 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 below. 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 assess 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 2025, 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 funded projects are expected to begin in early 2026.
The two phases of the application
Please note that both phases share the same deadline of September 30th for submitting applications to the SPARK Social Innovation program. However, individual deadlines may apply for research projects to coordinate with their respective faculties.
Phase 1:
Faculties and units should submit a prioritized list of 2-3 projects through Elements. This priority list must include the following information for each project: project name, principal investigator/project leader, and a brief description (a few sentences) of the project. Please be aware that applications not approved or prioritized by their faculty/unit will not be considered for evaluation.
Phase 2:
Approved and prioritized applicants from each faculty/unit must complete and submit a full application using the application template and the web form provided below.
Post-Approval Steps for Application:
Step 1: After receiving approval from your faculty/unit, please complete the application template and submit it through the web form (you will find the link to the form below). Deadline: September 30th, 2025. If you have questions about the application, contact coordinator Ingrid Helene Johnsen.
Step 2: An internal panel will select 10 to 15 projects to pitch their ideas to a larger review panel. The pitching will take place in November 2025.
Step 3: Selected projects for the SPARK Social Innovation program will receive up to 400,000 NOK per year for a maximum of two years based on the accomplishment of milestones. Four to five projects will be chosen, with an expected start date in January 2026.
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.