Funding Opportunity

SPARK-Bordeaux Call for applications

We are a mentoring network aiming to accelerate the translation of academic inventions into clinically relevant therapies, diagnostics and medical devices.

We offer funding & mentoring for translational projects from all medical disciplines for the development of:

• pharmaceuticals/therapeuticals

• medical devices

• diagnostics

for scientists and clinicians of Bordeaux University communities.

Conditions

• Evaluation criteria

  Projects must meet 6 general criteria:

  1)Translational project (no basic research)

  2) High unmet medical need

  3) High degree of innovation

  4) Robust data

  5) High chance to reach patient/market

  6) Team expertise

• Eligibility

  From the time the application is submitted, and during all stages of development, the project must involve a leader or co-leader who is working in a research unit whose trustee is the University of Bordeaux.

  Post-doctorants or Doctorants are encouraged to submit projects, and the submission must be in collaboration with a co-leader who is a permanent researcher working in a research unit whose trustee is the University of Bordeaux.

  Clinicians who have no links with a research unit are invited to submit a project with a co-leader.

  The project file must be signed by the project leader(s) and the Director of the research unit they are working in. If the project leader is a doctorant, the project file must be signed by the project leader, the co-leader (i.e. the permanent researcher supervising the student) and the Director of the research unit they are working in.

• Funding

  Financial budget

  A winning project may receive up to €75,000 for a maximum of 2 years. The financial budget awarded and the duration of funding depend on the project

  The budget is managed by the University of Bordeaux

  Deliverables and reporting

  Project leaders meet their mentor at least once a month. They must participate actively in seminars, in the monthly meetings with the community of project leaders and experts, and in SPARK Bordeaux events

  Funding is subject to deliverables. The Selection Committee evaluates the deliverables with the project leader, based on the submitted application describing the stages of development, the milestones, and the estimated budget for each stage. If it is determined that the deliverables cannot be provided, funding will stop

  In the context of the regular meetings with the community of project leaders and experts (the SPARKees community), the project leader will present project progress reports, according to a predefined format

  At the end of the first year, the project leader will provide an activity report in a predefined format. Based on the report and the deliverables, the Selection Committee will decide whether funding for the second year should be made available

• Eligible expenditure

  The budget will cover operating expenses

  Human resources expenses might be exceptionally eligible, if the project justifies them

  Up to €4,000 can be used to finance the purchase of equipment (N.B. support for the project leader will include information on sources of funding for equipment)

  The SPARK program is financially supported by the University of Bordeaux within the framework of the Excellence Initiative, and InnovationS (State funding - “France 2030” program).

• Intellectual property

  The general rules for managing the intellectual property of the work financed by SPARK Bordeaux are identical to those prevailing in the research units affiliated to the University of Bordeaux. If necessary, a specific contract between the parties involved may be drawn up prior to its launch.

• Communication

  All communication materials relating to a granted project must follow communication rules defined by the SPARK Bordeaux program.

  A project description may be displayed on the SPARK Bordeaux website.

Application

The SPARK Bordeaux call 2024 is now closed.

Applicants must fill in the fields online. Then, applications will be evaluated by the Selection Committee which will make a preselection. Preselected projects will be invited to make an oral presentation before the Selection Committee, using a predefined format (support provided, 8 minutes for presentation, 10 minutes for questions & answers) the 6th of june 2024 Results will be communicated on june/july.

Projects must meet 6 general criteria:

• 1)Translational project (no basic research)

• 2) High unmet medical need

• 3) High degree of innovation

• 4) Robust data

• 5) High chance to reach patient/market

• 6) Team expertise

Application must be followed online on this page :

SPARK-Bordeaux is a member of the SPARK Global network