Funder: Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station
Due Dates (Anticipated): February 2027 (Submission deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $60,000 over two years, or up to $35,000 for one year
Summary: SPARK supports ACES assistant professors’ interdisciplinary exploratory research to generate preliminary data for external funding proposals.
Key Information: Lead PIs must have a primary appointment in ACES and an aligned Hatch or Multistate Hatch project to receive funds.
Description
Supporting Pathways for Advancement, Research and Knowledge (SPARK) is a seed-grant program funded by the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station through the ACES Office of Research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It supports early-career faculty in developing creative, interdisciplinary research ideas, gathering preliminary data, and preparing competitive external funding proposals. Collaboration within or across departments and colleges is expected.
Projects should identify a research question that expands the lead investigator’s research while drawing clearly on each collaborator’s expertise. Research is expected to align with USDA NIFA’s Science Areas and Knowledge Areas Crosswalk and the scope of ACES research. The intended outcome is preliminary data or results supporting a fundable interdisciplinary proposal to federal agencies, industry, or foundations.
