Seed Projects in Arts and Sciences Research and Creative Activities (SPARC)

Collaborators/co-principal investigators in CAS may hold either tenured, tenure-track or research faculty titles. Instructional and visiting faculty are not eligible for support. Tenured/tenure-track faculty collaborators from other academic units are welcome to be part of SPARC-funded projects, but may not serve as principal investigator, and other than payments for services, funds cannot be used to support costs in labs not directly supervised by CAS PIs.

Each faculty may submit only ONE proposal per review cycle as the primary/principal investigator. In addition a faculty may serve as co-investigator/collaborator on up to ONE additional proposals per review cycle.

Proposals should describe research, scholarship, and/or creative practice that is not currently supported by external funds or is eligible for support from internal sources (e.g., startup funding, bridge funding, Humanities Institute or OVPRED seed funding programs). The 2025 edition of SPARC (SPARC-AI 2025) will support new projects in the general area of AI-informed design, discovery, and inquiry. Examples include project proposals designed to address important problems in AI research areas, to incorporate of AI/ML or data science tools to accelerate research and creative activities, or to address the pressing challenges of our society. Proposals for course and curricular designs are not supported in SPARC-AI 2025. Projects that have already benefited from prior external or internal funding will not be supported. The program does not provide bridge funding. Projects led by faculty who have CAS-provided research funds or receive spendable return from endowments or named professorships are ineligible to receive support under this program.

The narrative section of the proposal (1-4 below) is limited to three pages in length (single-spaced, with font no smaller than 12 pt Times or Times New Roman) and margins no smaller than 0.5 inches.

The proposals should include these six sections. Please write for an interdisciplinary audience that will not have specific disciplinary knowledge in your field of research.

1. Title, name and department of PI, and names and departments of co-PIs. 
   Abstract 300 words or less that summarizes the work being proposed, its significance and projected outcome(s)
2. Introduction/background that describes how the new work relates to the current work of the proposers. This section must also provide broader perspectives on the proposed work’s significance and importance as a new direction in the discipline.
3. Description of proposed new work, with a particular focus on how the project comprises a novel direction for the proposer that will elevate their research, scholarship and/or creative practice and open new avenues for innovative research and scholarship.
4. Anticipated outcomes (e.g., publications, performances, new external grant proposals) with the inclusion of a timeline and specific suggestions for how to assess successful achievement of the outcomes.
5. List of representative research, scholarship, and/or creative practice products produced by PI(s) from within the past 10 years (publications, books, performances, etc., as appropriate). (Limit to 2 pages).
6. List of prior funding, both external and internal (including fellowships) received within the past five years. (Limit to 2 pages).

In addition, the proposer must provide a budget spreadsheet and a one-page budget justification containing sufficient detail to allow the review committee to understand the costs of each component of the proposed work and how it relates to the goal of the project. The budget submission must use the appropriate supplied budget spreadsheet template.

The proposal submission window for the SPARC-AI 2025 will close on March 30, 2025.

• Review of all proposals will be performed by the awards committee of the College of Arts and Sciences. Additional reviewers may also be consulted as needed. The CAS Associate Dean for Research will serve as ex officio member of this committee and will supervise the review process. Final funding decisions will be made by the Dean of the College.
• Proposals will be evaluated based on the perceived significance and quality of the proposed work as well as the anticipated outcome(s). Preference will be given to work that will clearly lead to a one or more measurable outcomes, i.e., publication, creative presentation/performance, or external grant submission.
• Projects that are sufficiently advanced and are judged to be likely to be funded externally will also not be considered for support. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the project with the Associate Dean for Research and/or their Sector Associate Dean.
• Grant funds will be available for up to 18 months after initiation of the award. Awarded funds must be spent three months after the end date of the grant. Funds remaining after that period will be returned to the dean's office.
• A final one-page report on the outcomes of the supported work is due six months after the end date of the grant. Failure to submit the final report by the deadline will result in loss of eligibility for future SPARC program grants.
• Yearly funding for this program will be determined by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.