FALL 2015 SPARK AWARD COMPETITION
SUBMISSION INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES
The SPARK program at Brandeis, a Hassenfeld Family Innovation Center Initiative, provides
pilot funding for innovative projects that involve the environment, education, computer science,
healthcare, economic solutions, or social needs. The projects should further have a positive
impact. Applicants will be judged and awards of varying amounts will be presented to winning
teams based on the specific needs of the respective projects.
Schedule for SPARK Award
Open invitation to apply
October 15, 2015
Info sessions
October 20-28, 2015
Training sessions
mid-November, 2015
Applications due
December 2, 2015
Notification of finalist status
January 13, 2016
Final presentations
January 29, 2016
Announcement of award recipients
February 5, 2016
Funding available
March 1, 2016
Training
To assist you in preparing your final application and presentation, we are providing training
sessions in the middle of November. Additional details will be sent electronically and updated on
our website in coming weeks. Finalists will also have an opportunity to receive individualized
coaching prior to their pitches in front of judges.
Funding Requested




A total of $50K will be awarded during the 2015 Fall SPARK Award Competition. The
maximum amount of funding for an individual proposal will be $20K. Smaller budgets
are encouraged.
The key is to match your budget request to the funding you need to get your idea off the
ground.
Funding will be provided for a period of up to 12 months. Extensions will NOT be
granted.
Note, staff and faculty salaries must include fringe – see:
http://www.brandeis.edu/ora/about/index.html for the specific amounts. No overhead will
be charged on other expenses.
Page 1 of 3
Evaluation Criteria
SPARK Award Final Proposals will be judged by a panel of independent, outside advisors.
Applications will be judged using the following criteria:







Potential for social, educational or financial impact;
Potential importance of the proposed project;
Overall quality of proposed project plan;
Competence, balance and completeness of entrepreneurial team;
Probability of achieving proposed goal with the Award resources and in the time
proposed;
Degree of innovation and novelty in the proposed project;
Possibility of attracting future development funding to advance the proposed project.
Submitting your Application
Final application packets are due Wednesday, December 2, 2015, by 5:00pm. Applications
received after this deadline will not be considered for this cycle of funding. You will receive an
acknowledgement of receipt of the application within 48 hours after submission. If you don’t
receive a confirmation within 48 hours, please contact us at 781-736-2490.
All documents must be submitted as electronic files (WORD or PDF) to the Brandeis Office of
Technology Licensing (otl@brandeis.edu).
All text must be in readable font, at least 11pt, with ½ inch margins. Please adhere to the
indicated page maximums for each section. PLEASE NOTE THAT PROPOSALS THAT
EXCEED THE PAGE LIMITS WILL NOT BE READ OR REVIEWED FOR FUNDING.
Your filenames must include your Team Lead’s last name. Please use the nomenclature – as
shown below in brackets - for filenames.
The written application packets will contain the following documents
a. Part I – the cover page (Last name_cover page);
b. Part II – the project plan (Last name_project plan);
c. Attachments– The only allowable attachments are (1) letters of support from
collaborators and (2) team member resumes. No other attachments may be included.
Reference the allowed attachment(s) # in Section 5 of the application (last
name_attachment_1, last name_attachment_2, etc.);
d. Final Presentation PowerPoint– separate instructions on your final presentation will
follow (last name_final presentation).
Page 2 of 3
Important Note on Confidentiality
Your final application package (excluding the cover page) will be a confidential submission to
the Brandeis Office of Technology Licensing. It does not constitute a public disclosure for
patenting purposes. This document will be reviewed by the Brandeis Office of Technology
Licensing and its advisors for the sole purpose of evaluating this Brandeis SPARK Award
application.
Questions
Email all questions and suggestions to Office of Technology Licensing at otl@brandeis.edu
Sponsored by
Page 3 of 3