THE CENTER FOR RESEARCH INNOVATION

SPARK FUND ADVISORS

Criteria

Spark Fund advisors remotely review asynchronous applications and participate in live, virtual finalist presentations to document and provide feedback on commercial impact and proposed project feasibility.
The asynchronous review of applications is conducted prior to the live finalist presentations.
All documented feedback is sent to Spark Fund applicants who are not selected for the final presentations with details on areas of improvement for future submissions.

Selection Criteria

Principal Investigator

  • How well qualified is the PI to oversee and successfully execute the proposed activities?

Team

  • Does the proposing team have the expertise and experience to conduct and successfully execute the proposed activities?

Intellectual Merit

  • Does the proposed activity have the potential to significantly advance the knowledge and understanding within the relevant field of study?

Novelty and Technical Advantages

  • How technically significant are the novel and/or disruptive aspects of the proposed technology compared to the current state of the art?

Market Opportunity

  • Is there a significant market opportunity that could be addressed by the proposed technology?
  • How large is the market for the proposed technology and the current products that are derived from similar technologies?

Commercialization Strategy

  • Does it seem reasonable that this research can be translated into a product or service that will have high commercial success?
  • Does it seem reasonable that the resulting intellectual property (e.g. patents) will be licensable externally?
  • If a future spin-out is contemplated, is a spin-out strategy the best commercialization path for this technology?

Broader Impacts

  • How significant are the potential societal benefits of this technology?

Project Feasibility

  • Is it likely that the project milestones will be achieved within the proposed budget and timeline?
  • Is the project plan reasonable, well-organized, and well-justified?
  • Will the project likely result in an increased Technology Readiness Level (TRL) upon completion?
  • Does the project have access to the required materials, equipment, personnel, compounds, etc.?

Letters of Support

  • How relevant are the letters of support to the proposed project?
  • Are the letters just from academic and technical collaborators, or also commercial and industry sources?
  • How strong are the letters?

Budget

  • Is the budget reasonable?
  • Are the project costs limited to what is deemed reasonable and allowable?

Qualifications

  • 5-15 years of direct or adjacent work experience in science and technology commercialization
  • Prior science and technology exposure
  • Prior commercialization evaluation preferred
  • Experience with NIH, NSF and other non-dilutive grant mechanisms and applications is preferred
  • Experience with prior spinouts from academia, accelerators, or other institutions is preferred

Interested in being a Spark Fund advisor? Indicate your interest here!

ADVISORS

Shahila Christie

Shahila Christie

Vice-President of Growth Strategy and Operations at Portal Innovations

Ann Corcoran

Ann Corcoran

Principal at AMC Healthcare Solutions, Inc.

Nii Dodoo-Amoo

Nii Dodoo-Amoo

Deep Tech Investor

Johnny Fayad

Johnny Fayad

Managing Partner at Pothos Capital

Ian Johnston

Ian Johnston

Senior Associate at The Engine

Sophia Kambanis

Sophia Kambanis

Executive Director, Massachusetts Innovation Network

Sandra Lawrence

Sandra Lawrence

Independent Consultant

Claire Leurent

Claire Leurent PhD MBA

Strategic investor in biotech & healthcare

Mary McNamara headshot

Mary McNamara, Ed.D.

Assistant Dean at D’Amore-McKim School of Business & Managing Director at AngelHealthcare Investors

Robert Nagle

Robert Nagle

Early Stage Angel Investor

John J. Stamatopoulos

John J Stamatopoulos

Chief Revenue Officer at Koa Health

David Wilson

David Wilson

Senior Investment Associate at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center

ADVISORS

Shahila Christie

Shahila Christie

Vice-President of Growth Strategy and Operations @ Portal Innovations

Ann Corcoran

Ann Corcoran

Principal @ AMC Healthcare Solutions, Inc.

Nii Dodoo-Amoo

Nii Dodoo-Amoo

Deep Tech Investor

Johnny Fayad

Johnny Fayad

Managing Partner at Pothos Capital

Ian Johnston

Ian Johnston

Senior Associate @ The Engine

Sophia Kambanis

Sophia Kambanis

Executive Director, Massachusetts Innovation Network

Sandra Lawrence

Sandra Lawrence

Independent Consultant

Claire Leurent PhD MBA

Claire Leurent PhD MBA

Strategic investor in biotech & healthcare

Mary McNamara, Ed.D.

Mary McNamara, Ed.D.

Assistant Dean @ D’Amore-McKim School of Business & Managing Director @ AngelHealthcare Investors

Robert Nagle

Robert Nagle

Early Stage Angel Investor

John J Stamatopoulos

John J Stamatopoulos

Chief Revenue Officer at Koa Health

David Wilson

David Wilson

Senior Investment Associate at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center