Pre-SPARK Health Concept Discovery

Upon completion of the program, participants will be provided a certificate of completion. For student participants, it is optional to earn up to 5 ECTS after completing the program, if you wish to include Pre-SPARK in your study transcript and if your degree program approves it. In some cases, the credits are not registered automatically. It is advised to check with your degree program beforehand if the credits can be included into the degree, under what section, and if there is specific enrollment instructions to be followed.

Please read below for more details on applying for study credits:

University of Helsinki
After confirming your study place with our team, you can enroll in Sisu using the course code ‘TMED-603 Pre-SPARK Health Concept Discovery Programme’. The registration period is between 14.8 – 1.9.2026. The credits will be registered upon course completion.

Aalto University
Please contact your supervisor or study coordinator to discuss and get their approval to earn credits from Pre-SPARK. We do not guarantee that credits can be included in all degrees. Therefore, it is advisable to check with your study program beforehand.

Doctoral students can read more instructions regarding Independently completed individual studies within doctoral degree. For further inquiries, contact University-level Doctoral education services (UDES): udes@aalto.fi.

University of Eastern Finland
Please contact your degree programme to check if Pre-SPARK can be included into the degree, and the credits will be registered under what section. We do not guarantee that credits can be included in all degrees – therefore, it is advisable to check with your relevant contact person beforehand. A list of contacts and more further instructions can be found here: https://kamu.uef.fi/en/tietopankki/planning-and-completing-studies/recognition-of-prior-learning/.

Other universities
Please contact your degree programme to check if Pre-SPARK can be included into the degree, and the credits will be registered under what section. We do not guarantee that credits can be included in all degrees. Therefore, it is advisable to check with your study program beforehand.
If it is possible to earn credits, after Pre-SPARK has completed, students are responsible for coordinate with their program’s contact person to include the credits into their degrees.

Do I need my own research findings to participate in the program?
No. You can develop a concept based on your own research, draw inspiration from a curated pool of research discoveries, or work on any idea that interests you—as long as it aligns with at least one of the program’s themes.

Do I need to have an idea or ongoing project before joining the program?
No. While having an early-stage idea can be helpful, it’s not required. You can also join a team and contribute to ideas suggested by your teammates. Before the program starts, we encourage you to explore different aspects of health and life sciences to identify topics that interest you – if you haven’t done so already.

Who can participate in the course?
The course is open to Master’s and Doctoral students, researchers, clinicians, and scientists affiliated with SPARK’s member institutions. We expect that participants will together form a diverse, multidisciplinary and collaborative learning environment.

Do I need a background in health and life sciences to join?
No. The only requirement is a strong passion for health and life sciences and an interest in creating impact from research discoveries. While prior knowledge of the industry is beneficial, it is not mandatory.

Do I need a team to join the program?
No. You can apply as an individual.

How will teams be formed?
We will facilitate team-building to help you connect with other participants during the kick-off session.

What is expected from participants during the course?
We expect all participants to attend and actively engage in program sessions while collaborating with their project teams to develop their concepts. By the end of the program, you are expected to deliver a final team presentation and a concept description of your team’s project. As part of your project development, there will also be other small assignments throughout the program.

How are mentors be assigned to teams?
Once teams are formed, we will match each team’s topic and interests with relevant industry mentors.

Who owns the intellectual property (IP) of the concept developed in the program?
IP ownership depends on your affiliation and the origin of your idea. We will explore this topic in more detail during the program.

How is confidential information handled in the course?
We ask you to not share any confidential information throughout the program. Please be mindful of this, especially when you are developing concepts from your own existing research.