Frame
Cross-sector collaboration and responsible research translation
Examine how stakeholder needs, societal impact, AI ethics, alignment, participation, and incentives shape whether scientific AI succeeds in practice.
SPARK Forum
Planning
A retreat for responsible research translation and cross-sector collaboration.
A focused gathering designed around one connected journey: understand real-world challenges, explore relevant AI methods, learn practical tools, build collaborative prototypes, and reflect on pathways from research to impact.
Why this forum
Research translation is not a final handoff.
SPARK encourages participants to consider stakeholders, values, constraints, reproducibility, and adoption from the beginning of the research lifecycle—not only after the technical work is complete.
The forum is being designed primarily for current and alumni Schmidt AI in Science Fellows from diverse scientific backgrounds and levels of AI experience. Selected collaborators from government, industry, national laboratories, nonprofit organizations, and other sectors may also be invited to contribute practical perspectives and project contexts.
SPARK is neither a conventional conference nor a high-pressure hackathon. It combines a retreat, workshop, community gathering, and supported collaborative prototyping experience.
- 01
Translate research
Connect scientific advances with real needs, users, decisions, and pathways to adoption.
- 02
Practice responsibility
Bring ethics, alignment, participation, and accountability into the research lifecycle.
- 03
Build reproducibly
Create scientific work that is maintainable, shareable, inspectable, and ready for collaboration.
- 04
Cross boundaries
Learn with people from academia, government, industry, nonprofits, laboratories, and communities.
Program model
Four connected layers—from shared understanding to practical action.
The multi-layer format welcomes different disciplines and levels of AI experience while connecting responsible problem framing with methods, implementation, hands-on work, and lasting relationships.
Explore
Conceptual foundations in emerging AI
Develop shared understanding of multimodal AI, foundation models, knowledge-guided ML, HCI, open tools, and scientific applications.
Build
Practical skills and collaborative prototyping
Strengthen reproducible research practice and apply it in interdisciplinary teams working toward a realistic concrete deliverable.
Connect
Mentorship, reflection, and community
Build relationships across disciplines, institutions, cohorts, career stages, and sectors through structured and informal exchange.
Participant experience
What participants can expect.
The exact format is still being developed. The current design combines multiple modes of learning and connection.
- Expert-led talks and facilitated discussions
- Conceptual introductions to emerging AI methods
- Hands-on training in reproducible research tools
- Small, interdisciplinary project teams
- Lightweight prototype or deliverable development
- Alumni and current Fellow mentorship
- Career and cross-sector conversations
- Informal time for reflection and relationship-building
Beyond the Forum
Useful work that can continue and remain accessible.
Subject to participant consent, permissions, accessibility review, and licensing, selected learning materials, project outputs, and public syntheses will be preserved through the SPARK Community Hub rather than disappearing after the event.
Relationships
Cross-cohort mentorship and collaboration connections.
Open learning
Tutorials, practical guides, and documented prototypes.
Public synthesis
Reports, stories, interviews, and a potential perspective article.
Follow-on activity
Alumni talks, project continuation, and community events.
Forum status
Planning is underway.
Planned dates: March 7–12, 2027 (tentative), in Ann Arbor, Michigan. March 7: participant check-in only. March 8–12: main program. The dates, specific venue, eligibility, participant support, and speakers will be confirmed before travel arrangements should be made.