NEW USER REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Information needed to register as a new user:
- Salutation
- First Name
- Last Name
- Primary Organization
- Address
- City
- State
- Postal Code
- Email
- Telephone
- Password
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
EligibilityWhich application type will my grant proposal fall under?
Each application is question driven to guide you to the appropriate application type. For further questions, reach out to us at
educationalgrants@sparktx.com.
What are the funding restrictions and requirements?
Please visit the specific therapeutic area page for restrictions and requirements.
Does Spark support international programs for Medical Education Grants?
It depends. Spark may consider an international medical education program if the majority of the audience is physicians in the United States (US) and the organization requesting the funding is located in the US.
What are the supported Spark disease states?
- Pompe disease
- Hemophilia A
- Ophthalmology – Inherited Retinal Disease
Applying for a GrantWhat does it mean to have an opt-in process for enduring materials for medical education?
Spark maintains specific guidelines regarding the manner in which grant supported enduring materials are distributed to healthcare professions. These guidelines state that Spark can only support the dissemination of enduring materials directly to recipients who have specifically requested them.
What is the deadline to submit a grant request?
Funding requests must be submitted at least 60 days prior to the start of the Program/event date.
Can I start the online grant request and come back to it later if I don’t finish?
Yes, you may save the request and come back to it later. In order to do so, all fields on the current page must be populated for the information to be saved.
Can I request a grant for an activity that has already occurred?
No, Spark does not provide retroactive funding. Requests for support must be submitted to Spark at least 60 days in advance of the activity.
Can an organization submit a paper request for a charitable contribution from Spark?
What if my budget items do not fit into the available categories/descriptions?
If you have budget line items that are not in the category menu, please use Category “Others”.
What do you mean by a Needs Assessment (required for an Independent Medical Education Grant request)?
All requests for funding from Spark must include a referenced needs assessment that clearly defines the unmet education need or gap the activity will address. Once the educational need is determined, a documented Needs Assessment is generally linked to the formulated Learning Objectives for the program. The needs assessment must be documented and referenced.
Needs Assessment GuidelinesAll requests for funding from Spark must include a needs assessment that clearly defines the unmet educational need or gap the activity will address. Once the educational need is determined, a documented Needs Assessment can be formulated with associated Learning Objectives. The needs assessment must be documented and referenced. Please note that the Learning Objectives are not the same as the Needs Assessment. Rather, they should support the stated need.
- What is the identified educational void or gap being addressed through the proposed education?
- Indicate whether the education will address a knowledge gap or a practice gap.
- Describe the specific knowledge gap or practice gap to be addressed.
- Who is the intended audience for the proposed education?
- Why?
- What are your sources to substantiate your statement that this is an unmet educational need?
Some examples of acceptable sources for a Needs Assessment include the following:
- Expert Data
- Expert data may be derived from sources including:
- Literature Searches of peer-reviewed medical literature
- Advisory Board Feedback (independent of Spark)
- Expert practitioner/thought-leader interactions
- Market Research on Professional Needs
- Participant data may be derived from potential sources including:
- Focus Panels
- Medical education feedback
- Survey(s) of the proposed target audience
- Observed Data
- Observed data may be derived from a number of sources, including:
- National and regional data from national research institutes and healthcare professional organizations (CDC, NIH, other)
Why is a Detailed Implementation Plan required for an Independent Medical Education Grant request?
Spark is interested in understanding elements of activity execution. The purpose of this understanding is not to exercise any level of control over the activity, but to assess whether the elements of the proposed activity are consistent with the provider's stated objectives and their ability to achieve them.
The individual who submitted previous requests for funding is no longer with the organization. How do I get access to all previous/pending requests?
Create a new account on behalf the new username and email at
educationalgrants@sparktx.com providing your new username, old username, and organization name and tax ID #.
If I received previous funding from Spark, will that influence or guarantee support of future requests for support?
No. Each individual grant submitted to Spark will be evaluated on its own merit. Please do not consider any grant request approved until you receive an email confirmation from Spark and a Letter of Agreement that has been accepted by all parties.
How do I update my organization’s information in the application?
Changes to organization details must be requested via email. Please submit your funding request and once completed, send an email to
educationalgrants@sparktx.com with request ID and registered email address (username). Once your organization profile has been unlocked for edit, you will receive a Request for Info (RFI) to update your information.
How will I know when a decision is made on my grant?
Once a final decision has been made, the Authorized Signer will be notified via email.
What is an RFI?
An RFI (Request for Info) is sent if additional information is needed to continue our review process. The owner of the request will be contacted and will have 10 business days to respond.
Who can I contact for questions, or to find out about the status of my grant?
Can I use the Spark logo if I receive a grant?
The Spark logo can only be used if a grant has been approved and the Letter of Agreement has been signed. Please reference the Letter of Agreement for logo guidelines.
What if I have a question about my Letter of Agreement (LOA)?
Who should I reach out to for payment/check questions?
Will I be able to print a copy of my submission for my records?
Yes. You can print a copy of their request after the confirmation page and anytime post submission.
What do I do if the scope of my activity changes for an Independent Medical Education Grant request?
Email
educationalgrants@sparktx.com and provide your funding request ID # along with a detailed letter describing the grant change of scope (CoS).
- What is the funding request process?
Registration & Application- Funding requests must be submitted online through the Spark Educational Granting System, which can be accessed using the Register/Sign-in pages.
- Before you can make a funding request on behalf of an organization using the Spark Educational Granting System, you must register yourself as a user (see NEW USER REGISTRATION INFORMATION)
- Completed grant request must be submitted at least 60 days before the start date of an activity.
- All organizations register using the same process and require basic information so Spark can determine the proper type of funding.
- After submitting your basic information, you will be asked a series of questions to ascertain the correct type of funding. Based on your answers, you will be directed to an application specific to your funding type.
- Once a request is submitted, you will receive a confirmation email.
- Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis; you will usually hear back from Spark prior to the project/program start date.
- If an application is incomplete or funding type does not match the original request, a Request for Information (RFI) will be sent to the requestor.
- All requests are reviewed for compliance to Spark's policies for grant funding.
- Decision on funding requests are determined after a full review and evaluation of the funding request application and related documents.
- You will receive an email communication regarding the decision.
- If you have any questions regarding the decision, please email educationalgrants@sparktx.com.
- If a funding request is approved, an electronic Letter of Agreement (LOA) with the terms and conditions of the funding will be sent to all relevant parties.
- The LOA must be electronically signed and accepted by the authorized signer.
- You will receive the funding via check or electronic payment after the acceptance of the LOA.
- Activity monitoring, evaluation and reconciliation is required for particular funding types.
Technical Issues/Support
- I am unable to upload my W9, how do I proceed?
If you receive an error message when uploading your organization’s W9, please email
educationalgrants@sparktx.com and provide your funding request ID #. and include your organization’s name, tax ID #, and attach the W9.
- How do I change the authorized signer?
- When I log in I don’t see the LOA.
- I received an Evaluation Reminder, but I cannot access/view it.
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