APPLICATION DUE:           5PM on Monday, April 24, 2017
APPLICATION DECISION:  April 26-7, 2017
COURSE BEGINS:             Wednesday, May 3, 2017

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Please review all information carefully before completing the application.  Once complete, email an updated copy of your résumé to ucsdspark2017@gmail.com. Incomplete or incorrect information will delay processing of the application. Once submitted, the application cannot be edited. Resubmissions will not be reviewed even if submitted before the application deadline.

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SPARK is an immersive, fast-paced program that offers you the confidence, knowledge and competencies needed to become an entrepreneurial innovator.  The primary goal of the program is to help participants discover, validate and launch technology-driven venture ideas that fulfill a compelling market need and contribute to social and economic value. Designed by an award-winning Rady School faculty member and facilitated by an experienced business executive, the program also offers practical skills that can make you an attractive candidate for industry careers in Innovation.
 The first module in this program, “Discover”, is a foundational module that covers techniques and methods for the identification of unmet market needs, generation of new venture ideas, and assessment of these ideas to qualify them as viable business opportunities. The outcome from this module is a concrete business idea that can be validated with prototype and pilot funding to be offered in subsequent phases.

COURSE FORMAT AND CONTENT

This five-week module, Discover, represents the first phase of the SPARK program.  “Discover” is a foundational module that covers techniques and methods for the identification of unmet market needs, generation of new venture ideas, and assessment of these ideas to qualify them as viable business opportunities. Over these next five weeks, you will learn how businesses begin, whether it is through recognizing an unmet, critical need, or with a technology looking for the right market fit, and how the market, product, and business all change as the business model is refined. The outcome from this module is a concrete business idea, a starting point, with which students can continue the SPARK program through validation and future steps. Additionally, the course will introduce multiple facets of the entrepreneurial world, helping students identify business areas where they can excel.

Phase I, "Discover", will be a 5-week course with one 2-hour lecture per week (tentative) held at the Rady School of Management.  The first class will start on Wednesday, May 3rd. This course, taking place over five Wednesday evenings on Rady Campus, is a combination of lecture material and student interaction. Business and market theory will be discussed, but case studies and application will be the primary teaching methods. Students will participate in individual and team-based exercises to demonstrate understanding of course material, and throughout the course, build on several potential business ideas, refining them thoughout the course based on knowledge gained. The course will conclude with short team-based presentations on an idea of choice, one that the team feels meets the requirements of SPARK and can proceed to the subsequent Phase II: Validation.


COURSE TIMELINE

Phase I: Discovery Schedule
All classes will take place on Wednesday evenings, 5:30-7:30pm, at Rady campus (Room 1E107 in the East Tower), from May 3 to May 31. Tentative course topics are below.

Week      Topic                                                    

May 3 Introduction, Discovering Good Ideas    
May 10 Primers on Common Discovery Methods  
May 17 Case Study, Speaker Panel              
May 24 Idea Workshop                                    
May 31 Idea Pitches                                    


ELIGIBILITY

70 applicants will be selected and 20 will be wait listed.  This course is targeted towards PhDs and Postdocs at UCSD and affiliated institutions.  That being said, the course needs to be booked to full capacity.  Therefore, masters students, undergrads, UCSD staff, and non-affiliates should still apply but will be considered secondarily.


COURSE FEE

The course fee is $125, which includes instructor fees, business cases, and printed materials.  This course fee can be paid online by credit/debit card or personal check.  If your PI or department is willing to pay this fee for you, it is possible to pay with a UCSD recharge account.  Further instructions will be sent to selected participants.

EXPECTATIONS

Students are expected to attend all class sessions as listed on the course calendar, and participate in class discussion and exercises. Receipt of the end-of-course certificate, and participation in subsequent SPARK phases, is contingent upon this point. If absence is required, please indicate in the application process.

CERTIFICATION

Upon completion of the course, and confirmed attendance to all 5 lectures, participants will be awarded a certificate from the Rady School of Management recognizing their participation.




Please email any questions or comments to ucsdspark2017@gmail.com

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