Innovation Spark Grants

Innovation Spark Grants:

• The Innovation Spark Grants is a program and five-thousand-dollar mini-grant from the NMC CREES EPIIC team. It aims to increase the College's research capacity and to expand its partnerships, which are aligned with the College's Strategic Master Plan, specifically Action Step 6.3.3.

  • "Expand the institution's research capacity in order to guide and collaborate with government agencies and nonprofit entities in combating social, economic, and environmental problems at the local, regional, national, or international level."

Eligibility:

• Applicants will be in teams composed of at least an NMC faculty/staff and an NMC student(s).

  • Although not mandatory, a community partner in a team is strongly encouraged and viewed more favorably.

• Projects must:

  • Have either an NMC faculty/staff member as the Principal Investigator (PI)

  • Be either a new or already existing project

  • Not incorporate the use of human or other vertebrate subjects

    • Unless there is an already approved research project or the project is based on a secondary data analysis

Requirements:

• • A completed application form, including a Budget Narrative report

    • This will explain how a team will utilize the maximum award of $5,000 throughout the project’s duration.

  • Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) training

  • Reports (mid-progress and final reports, fiscal reports, etc.)

  • Two Presentations:

    • March 13, 2026 (Friday): NMC's Sixth (6th) Annual Research Symposium

    • Fall 2026: EPIIC's two-day Innovation Capacity Professional Development (ICPD)

Timeline of the Grant:

1. September 19 to October 9, 2025:

   • Teams will complete a Request for Application (RFA) form.

2. October 15 to October 20, 2025:

   • Applications will be reviewed by our review committee.

3. October 21 to October 23, 2025:

   • Awardees will be given their Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs).

4. October 24 to October 31, 2025:

   • Awardees will undergo CITI training.

5. November 3, 2025:

   • Teams can begin conducting research.

6. March 13, 2026:

   • Teams will present at NMC's Sixth (6th) Annual Research Symposium.

   • Submission of mid-progress report and expenditure report

7. May 8, 2026:

   • Teams will fully complete their research project by the end of Spring 2026.

   • Submission of final report and expenditure report

8. August 2026:

   • Teams will present their projects at the two-day Innovation Capacity Professional Development (ICPD).

   • New application cycle begins