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Upcoming Events

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Past Events

SPARC Collision Incubator - NSF Regional Innovation Engines - May 27, 2022

The National Science Foundation has created a new initiative called the Regional Innovation Engines. The NSF Engines program uniquely harnesses the nation’s science and technology research and development enterprise and regional-level resources. In this Collision, with our colleagues from Lewis-Burke Associates, SPARC will provide an overview of the opportunity, competitive information learned, and offer a Q&A session for those interested in submitting a proposal.

Learn more about this collision event.

SPARC Collision Incubator - BioMADE Technology and Innovation Project Call Collision - November 12, 2021

BioMADE, a biomanufacturing-focused Manufacturing Innovation Institute housed at the University of Minnesota, has issued a call for proposals for applied technology innovation projects that will advance the field of bioindustrial manufacturing. BioMADE expects to fund large, collaborative projects, especially university-industry partnerships, of more than $1 million per year for up to three years. In this collision, SPARC will be helping potential teams prepare for this unique opportunity.

Learn more about this joint collision event.

SPARC Collision Incubator - PIPP Phase I: Development Grants - August 4, 2021

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) new Predictive Intelligence for Pandemic Prevention (PIPP) initiative has released a Phase I: Development Grants RFP. The PIPP initiative focuses on fundamental research and capabilities needed to tackle grand challenges in infectious disease pandemics through prediction and prevention. In this collision we will be discussing this funding opportunity with the aim of identifying potential areas where UMN could prepare to submit proposals.

Learn more about this joint collision event.

Water Cooler Collision on Upcoming NOAA Opportunities - July 1, 2021

For Federal Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21), Congress appropriated $338,000,000 to the NOAA Laboratories and university-based Cooperative Institutes, the Climate Competitive Research program, and the Sea Grant College Program. In this collision we will be discussing these upcoming funding opportunities toward identifying potential areas where UMN could prepare to submit proposals.

Learn more about this joint collision event.

CMDC and SPARC Collision Incubator - May 25, 2021

Medical device cybersecurity has become increasingly important to medical device manufacturers and healthcare delivery organizations, as well as US federal agencies. In response to this growing need, the new industry consortium, the Center for Medical Device Cybersecurity, seeks to facilitate collaboration and opportunity across the University of Minnesota. At this Collision Incubator we will review the requirements of these opportunities and strategies for crafting successful proposals. Attendees will have the opportunity to brainstorm ideas and seek potential partners for interdisciplinary teams.

Learn more about this joint collision event.

Higher Education International Partnerships - Webinar on March, 03, 2021

In this 7th webinar of a series on issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals, a panel of scholars and practitioners will discuss how university partnerships and networks are advancing impactful work in communities and countries around the world. Looking at a variety of network models in several fields, panelists will offer examples and insights on where progress is being made and where more work is needed. Comments and discussion will focus on these SDG’s targets.

Learn more about the Webinar event.

SPARC Collision Incubator - February 2021

Let’s collaborate! UMN researchers and staff gather at the SPARC Collision Incubator events to meet collaborators and brainstorm ideas. In this meeting, we are discussing ARPA-E OPEN 2021. ARPA-E expects to make approximately $100 million available for new awards under this FOA, and individual awards may vary between $250,000 and $10 million in Federal share.

Learn more about the SPARC Collaborative Event.

Climate Change: Local to Global Challenges and Strategies - Webinar on December, 10, 2020

In this sixth webinar of a series on issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals, a panel of community-engaged scholars and practitioners representing a range of perspectives will offer examples and insights on where progress is being made and where more work is needed. The panel discussion will connect local Minnesota community efforts and the broader, global landscape to consider the interconnectedness of climate action across all levels.

Learn more about the Webinar event.

Clean Water and Sanitation: Water Access in Minnesota Communities - Webinar on November, 19, 2020

Tremendous progress has been made nationally and globally in increasing access to clean drinking water and sanitation, however access to safe, potable water is still a challenge in some communities in the US and Minnesota. The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated the critical importance of sanitation, hygiene and adequate access to clean water for the prevention of diseases. Hand hygiene according to the World Health Organization, is one of the most effective actions that can be taken to reduce the spread of pathogens and prevent infections, including the COVID-19 virus. Yet access to clean and safe water is not available to all.

Learn more about the Webinar event.

SPARC Collision Incubator - November 2020

Let’s collaborate! UMN researchers and staff gather at the SPARC Collision Incubator events to meet collaborators and brainstorm ideas. In this meeting, we are discussing Racial Equity 2030, a new $90 million Global Challenge (up to $20M for individual projects) to fund bold solutions to address systemic inequities.

Learn more about the SPARC Collaborative Event.

Green Homes and Homelessness: The Challenge of Equitable and Sustainable Housing in 2020 - Webinar on September 24, 2020

Ensuring safe, stable and sustainable housing presents an acute challenge for Minnesota communities and policymakers. COVID-19, the global movement for racial justice and the increasing natural disasters associated with climate change have laid bare the major barriers to sustainable development, equity and justice in the U.S. and globally. Housing is no exception, with a crisis of homelessness, housing instability and the need for sustainable housing design at the forefront. In this fourth webinar of a series on issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals, a panel of community engaged scholars and advocates will explore current challenges to fair, equitable and sustainable housing and discuss potential solutions from the perspective of different disciplines and approaches and then discuss how we all can work together across sectors and disciplines toward positive change.

Learn more about the Webinar event.

Reducing Inequities: Creating Change in Our Communities - Webinar on August 25, 2020

In the past few months, COVID-19 and the global movement for racial justice have laid bare inequities in the U.S. and globally, and shown how these inequities undermine the very foundations of our social, political and economic systems. In this third webinar of a series on issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals, a panel of publicly-engaged scholars explored how various forms of inequality in the United States threaten community resilience and sustainable change in their areas of work and then discuss how we all can work together across sectors and disciplines to undermine systemic inequities toward positive change.

Learn more about the Webinar event.

Feeding Inequities: Food justice in Minnesota communities - Webinar on July 23, 2020

Food justice is a social movement that sees healthy, culturally appropriate food as a human right and addresses structural barriers to food through systems change at all levels of the food system. In Minnesota and in the US more broadly, two significant crises of systemic racism and COVID-19 further destabilize food systems and disproportionately affect communities of color, low-income and immigrant communities. Local communities are proactively working to ensure food access and food justice.

Learn more about the Webinar event.

Collision on Sustainable Goal #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities on July 22, 2020

To help faculty navigate and pursue this changing landscape of funding, the University COVID Action Network (U-CAN), the UMN SDG Initiative, and the University of Minnesota's Corporate and Foundation Relations office, is hosting a Zoom Collision Incubator Event on Wednesday, July 22, 2020 from 12-1:00 pm CT.

Learn more about the Collision event.

Collision on Sustainable Goal #10: Reduced Inequalities

Learn more about the Collision event.

Minnesota Food Security: Communities in Crisis - Webinar on June 23, 2020

Hosted by the University of Minnesota Sustainable Development Goal Initiative, this webinar discussed the COVID-19 pandemic and the more recent civil rights crisis that has affected every aspect of the food system—from farm to fork.

Learn more about the Food Security webinar.

SPARC Collision Incubator - June 8, 2020

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the U.S. CDC has announced that this summer, it will release a Notice of Funding Opportunity for 7–8 NIOSH Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health (TWH). These centers are intended to develop and conduct multidisciplinary research, intervention, outreach and education, and evaluation activities to advance the overall safety, health, and well-being of the nation’s workforce.

Learn more about our Collision Incubator on NIOSH COEs for Total Worker Health.

SPARC Collision Incubator - May 28, 2020

COVID-19 is an unprecedented global crisis and will require an unprecedented response. To help faculty navigate and pursue this changing landscape of funding, the University COVID Action Network (U-CAN) under the Strategic Partnerships and Research Collaborative (SPARC) will host an online Collision Incubator Event on Thursday, May 28 from 12-1 pm to highlight private foundations and the sustainable development goals.

Learn more about our Collision Incubator on COVID-19 funding opportunities.

SPARC Collision Incubator - April 30, 2020

COVID-19 is an unprecedented global crisis and will require an unprecedented response. To help faculty navigate and pursue this changing landscape of funding, the University COVID Action Network (U-CAN) under the Strategic Partnerships and Research Collaborative (SPARC) hosted an online Collision Incubator Event on Thursday, April 30 from 2-3:00 pm to highlight three federal agency proposal requests for COVID-19 related research.

Learn more about our Collision Incubator on COVID-19 funding opportunities.

SPARC Collision Incubator - April 14, 2020

COVID-19 is an unprecedented global crisis and will require an unprecedented response. To help faculty navigate and pursue this changing landscape of funding, the University COVID Action Network (U-CAN) under the Strategic Partnerships and Research Collaborative (SPARC) hosted an online Collision Incubator Event on Tuesday, April 14, 2020.

Learn more about our Collision Incubator on COVID-19 funding opportunities.

Joint Forum on Sustainable Development Goals

How can we align our work to the Sustainable Development Goals––a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all? Join us at the Joint Forum on SDGs co-hosted by UMN & the Minnesota SDG Roundtable to see how and to learn more about existing efforts.

Learn more about the Joint Forum.

SPARC Collision Workshop - October 2019

Join us at the SPARC Collision Workshop on October 30 to learn about various agency approaches to the review process and why we need to adapt our proposal approach on a funder-by-funder basis. Our expert panel features UMN faculty that have served as reviewers for federal awards, including NSF, NIH, and DOE.

Learn more about the SPARC Collision Workshop.

SPARC Collision Incubator - September 2019

Let’s collaborate! UMN researchers and staff gather at the SPARC Collision Incubator events to meet collaborators and brainstorm ideas. We are exploring two opportunities this autumn.

Learn more about the SPARC Collaborative Event.

Collision Event

The Strategic Partnerships and Research Collaborative (SPARC) is hosting a Collision networking and brainstorming session to facilitate team building and project development for the National Science Foundation's Smart and Connected Communities opportunity. This session is open to anyone in the University of Minnesota community interested in collaborating on this opportunity.

Learn more about the SPARC Collaborative Event.

SPARC at University of Minnesota Duluth

Join us on April 15th or 16th for the UMD launch of the SPARC! This new Systemwide research service and innovation hub was created to help multidisciplinary teams submit and execute complex grant proposals, particularly for opportunities from nontraditional funding agencies or those that require external partners.

Learn more about the launch of SPARC at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

SPARC Conversations: Innovation + Big Ideas

SPARC is hosting two networking and brainstorming sessions to facilitate team building and project development for two recently announced major grant opportunities. These sessions are open to anyone in the University of Minnesota community interested in leading or collaborating on either of these opportunities and who might need assistance from SPARC.

Learn more about the SPARC brainstorming and networking sessions.

UMN OVPR and GPSAlliance Launch SPARC

SPARC engages researchers and practitioners across disciplines in the US and globally to establish new large-scale programs that catalyze collaboration, innovate for new discoveries, and deliver practical new solutions that address these critical challenges.

Learn more about the launch of SPARC innovation hub.

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