The Tullie and Rickey Families SPARK Awards for Innovations in Immunology
Funding Amount
$30,000
Deadline
April 3, 2027
189 days left
Grant Type
foundation
Overview
The Tullie and Rickey Families SPARK Awards for Innovations in Immunology
Funder: La Jolla Institute for Immunology
Status: Active, ongoing annual program
Overview: A structured, multi-year program designed to support early-career scientists and catalyze bold new ideas at LJI. Starting with the 2026 cohort, the SPARK Awards offer $30,000 in flexible start-up funding (increased from $25,000 awarded since the program's inception in 2017) to support LJI's emerging researchers in pursuing bold, high-impact projects.
Geographic Scope: La Jolla Institute for Immunology, California, US
Focus Areas: Innovation in immunology, high-risk, high-reward research projects across all disease areas
- Applicant Types: Early-career scientists and emerging investigators including: - Instructors - Postdoctoral fellows - Graduate students - Research technicians - LJI laboratory and core facilities researchers
Eligibility
Program Structure
Application Phase: Annual wide range of proposals from emerging investigators across LJI labs and core facilities
Project Execution Phase: 8-month period for SPARK awardees to lead independent research projects and generate preliminary data
- Rigorous review by panel composed of: - LJI leadership - LJI faculty members - Members of the Tullie and Rickey families
- Proposals evaluated for: - Scientific rigor - Innovation - Potential impact
Selection Process
- Seed funding for high-risk, high-reward projects
- Professional development: Specialized training on communicating research to various audiences
- Real-world experience: Hyper-competitive format that simulates actual research grant and biotech investment challenges
- Career support: Practical tools for career success in academic and biotech fields
Program Benefits
- Bold new approaches to diagnosing diseases
- Novel treatment development
- Potentially curative approaches
- Preliminary data generation for larger grants
What Funding Supports
- Email: contact@lji.org
- Phone: +1 (858) 752-6500
- Address: 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037
Contact
How to Apply
Application Process
Timing: Annual application cycle
Key Phases:
1. Application Phase: LJI receives proposals from emerging investigators across laboratories and core facilities
2. Selection Phase: Rigorous review by LJI leadership, faculty, and Tullie/Rickey family members
3. Finalist Announcement: Finalists are selected as SPARK awardees
4. Professional Development: Finalists receive specialized training on communicating research
5. Project Execution Phase: 8-month period to conduct independent research and generate preliminary data
What is Reviewed:
Required Elements (implied from program structure):
Note: Specific application materials, narrative questions, and submission procedures are not detailed in the provided content. Applicants should contact LJI directly for detailed application requirements and deadlines.
What La Jolla Institute for Immunology actually gave
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, 2024
- Grants in 2024
- 36
- Total given
- $10.33M
- Median grant
- $106K
- Range
- $7,504–$3.46M
- By dollars: Michigan 34%, Connecticut 11%, Texas 9%. Top recipient cities: Los Angeles, CA; Seattle, WA; New York, NY.
- 0% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
- 40% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.
Example grants
Regents of the University of Michigan · Ann Arbor, MI
Subrecipient award
$3.46M
Yale University · New Haven, CT
Subrecipient award
$1.17M
Emory University · Atlanta, GA
Subrecipient award
$828K
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galvesto · Dallas, TX
Subrecipient award
$719K
Leidos · Pittsburg, PA
Subrecipient award
$432K
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
Categories
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