Open call for Proposals

SPARK NS Parkinson’s Disease Translational Research Program 2024 - 2025 Cohort

Program Duration: 2 years
Milestone-based Project Support: Up to $2,000,000 per project during the 2-year program, including discretionary funding for the Principal Investigator of $50,000 per year

For the SPARK NS 2024-2025 Parkinson’s Disease Translational Research Program (Program), SPARK NS will select and enroll a cohort of academic principal investigators (PIs) with therapeutic discoveries at any stage of development between target identification and entry into clinical trials. For selected projects, SPARK NS will provide funding, education, mentorship, and networking opportunities to support the translation of novel science to first-in-class therapeutics. The duration of the Program is 2 years. Projects selected will receive milestone-based support up to $2,000,000 during the 2-year program, including $50,000 of discretionary funding per year for the PIs of the selected projects.

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Call for
Proposals

The Call for Proposals provides detailed information about the process and timeline for applying to the Program.
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Application
Guidelines

The Application Guidelines offers additional information on applying to the Program, including how applications will be evaluated.
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Program
Description

The Program Description and Expectations includes comprehensive information on the Program and what is expected of applicants if selected.
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Application Resources

Link

Background Reading

For background information on the discovery and development of therapeutics, applicants are encouraged to consult A Practical Guide to Drug Development in Academia when drafting their proposals. A new edition of the book will be available in October 2023. Pre-order the book here.

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Application Template

Applicants should use the Microsoft Word Application Template for their proposals to ensure that their application meets the formatting requirements.

Application Portal

Submit an Application

Application Timeline:  9.1.23 - Call For Proposal released.  10.6.23 - Application Portal opens.  11.10.23 - Applications due.  11.27.23 - Finalists notified.  12.14.23-12.15.23 - Finalists present.  12.22.23 - Awardees notified.
About SPARK NS
Founded in 2023, SPARK NS is an independent non-profit translational research organization dedicated to efficiently advancing promising neuroscience discoveries from the lab to the clinic.

SPARK NS offers disease-specific 2-year translational research programs that provide funding, education, mentorship, and networking opportunities to academic principal investigators (PIs) with promising therapeutic discoveries. The programs are designed to close gaps in knowledge and know-how and eliminate barriers that slow or prevent promising discoveries from directly benefiting patients. SPARK NS programs operate on a proven model for collaboration between academic researchers and industry experts developed and refined at Stanford University School of Medicine since 2006.

Academic PIs with projects at any stage of development between target identification and entry into clinical trials are eligible to apply to SPARK NS programs. As an independent organization not affiliated with any academic institution, SPARK NS will select the most promising projects that emerge from the global neuroscience research community. SPARK NS currently focuses on Parkinson’s disease, with plans to expand to bipolar disorder and autism spectrum disorder.
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The Team

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Stephen Kargotich

Executive Director
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Opher Kornfeld

Director, Translational Research & Development
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Marisol Urbano

Director of Programs
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Adriana Garcia

Education Manager
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Charlene Chabata

Project Manager
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Daria Mochly-Rosen

Advisor
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Kevin Grimes

Advisor
The Team
The Team

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