Spark Awards

For Researchers

Spark Awards are intended to provide investigators with the resources they need to effectively advance their research efforts. The Spark program is intended to jump-start new pilot studies with the goal of supporting future extramural grant applications or scientific initiatives.

Eligibility:

• Early to mid-stage career level
• ⁠Post-Doctoral Fellow
• Instructor, Assistant Professor
• Associate Professor, less than two years of appointment at Ohio State/Nationwide Children’s Hospital
• Please note: researchers in the following roles are not eligible for a Spark Award Students (undergraduate, graduate and medical), residents and CTSI funded investigators (K, T, Pilot, Element E)
• Principal Investigator (PI) status or a letter of exception at Ohio State or Nationwide Children’s Hospital. PI eligibility information can be reviewed in the Ohio State Office of Research Study Team Lookup website.
• Spark awardees may receive only one Spark award (single or collaborative) per funding cycle. A new funding cycle will start no earlier than August 1 of each subsequent year.
• Exceptions may be made. Please contact CTSI-SPARK@osumc.edu for more information.

To Apply for a Spark Award

1. Complete a MyCTSI Profile
2. Contact the proposed core service and obtain a cost calculation (budget estimate) for the project. Your cost calculation must be completed before submitting your application.
3. Complete the Spark application form. Make sure to answer all questions and attach your cost calculation.

CTSI Membership Profile

CTSI Cost Calculation Template

CTSI Spark Award Application

Types of Research That Can Be Funded

Spark proposals must meet at least one of these criteria: 

• Activities to support a future grant application or a major scientific initiative
• Provision of additional support critical to the success of an existing project

Other types of proposals will be considered on an individual basis. 

In addition, the proposals must fall into one of these categories: 

• Clinical Research: Clinical research includes studies to better understand a disease in humans and relate this knowledge to findings in cell or animal models; testing and refinement of new technologies in people; testing of interventions for safety and effectiveness in those with or without disease; behavioral and observational studies; and outcomes and health services research. The goal of many clinical trials is to obtain data to support regulatory approval for an intervention.
• Clinical Implementation: Clinical implementation involves the adoption of interventions that have been demonstrated to be useful in a research environment into routine clinical care for the general population. This stage also includes implementation research to evaluate the results of clinical trials and to identify new clinical questions and gaps in care.
• Public Health: Public health includes studying health outcomes at the population level to determine the effects of diseases and efforts to prevent, diagnose and treat them. Findings help guide scientists working to assess the effects of current interventions and to develop new ones.

For 2024-2025, the program will not support basic or preclinical research proposals.

Other Requirements

Prior to receipt of funds, Spark awardees must fulfill necessary IRB/ORRP requirements, including institutional training and reporting requirements such as:

• Reporting of conflicts of interest (COI)
• CITI Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
• CITI Human Subjects Protection (HSP)
• CITI Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

Complete your COI

Complete Your HSR CITI Trainings

If you were looking for the CTSI voucher program, that program has been retired. While we acknowledge the value and contributions of the voucher program, we are excited to announce the Spark Awards, a new CTSI funding mechanism that will continue to support our research community.