We support a broad range of projects in the health domain. These include:

• Therapeutics & Preventives
  Small molecules, biologics, cell therapies, gene therapies, vaccines
• Diagnostics
  Biomarker assays, imaging approaches, point-of-care tests, companion diagnostics
• Medical Devices
  Surgical tools, monitoring devices, implantable devices, digital therapeutics
• Platform Technologies
  Novel screening systems, assay platforms, or tools that enable drug/diagnostic development

You're a good fit if:

• You have a clear unmet medical need your innovation addresses
• You have preliminary data supporting your approach (proof of concept in vitro or in animal models)
• You're affiliated with the University of Bordeaux (faculty, postdocs, PhD students, clinicians)
• You're willing to commit time to the program (mentoring sessions, milestone work)
• You're open to guidance and feedback from industry experts
• You're serious about advancing your innovation toward patients (not just publishing)

You might not be ready yet if:

• Your project is still at the early hypothesis stage with no experimental data
• You're focused solely on basic science without a translation plan
• You don't have bandwidth to actively participate in the program

The projects are evaluated on 7 criteria.

• Medical & Technological Need
• Height of Innovation
• Data Quality
• Market Potential
• Probability of Success in SPARK
• Development Path & Milestones
• Team Commitment & Translational Mindset

• The project leader or co-leader must be affiliated with a research unit whose trustee is the University of Bordeaux.
• Doctoral and postdoctoral researchers may apply jointly with a permanent University of Bordeaux researcher acting as co-leader.
• Clinicians without a research unit affiliation may apply in collaboration with a co-leader from a University of Bordeaux-affiliated unit.