DST SPARK Seed Grants
ForecastedInternal — Duke University only
DST SPARK Seed Grants support Duke’s early- and mid-career faculty in pursuing creative, high-risk research and scholarship in new directions with the potential for transformative long-term impact.
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Funder: Duke University
Due Dates (Anticipated): April 2027 (Submission deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $150,000 per project for a one-year award
Summary: Seed grants support Duke early- and mid-career faculty pursuing creative, high-risk research and scholarship in new directions.
Key Information: Restricted to eligible Duke faculty; primary appointments at Duke-NUS and Duke-Kunshan are excluded.
Description
Duke’s Office of Research and Innovation administers DST SPARK Seed Grants in support of Duke Science and Technology. The program gives early- and mid-career faculty space to pursue novel research and scholarship that would be difficult to fund from other sources. It encourages blue-sky ideas carrying substantial risk but offering potentially transformative long-term impact.
SPARK prioritizes a new project or research direction for the faculty member rather than an extension of existing work. Creativity and potential impact on the applicant’s discipline are central to review. The one-year award is intended to enable substantial progress toward the project’s aims, with support for personnel and other practical research needs.
