Summer Hours (May 18–August 14, 2026):
The Graduate School Office will not offer in-person services on Fridays. Virtual support remains available during regular business hours, and in-person services continue Monday–Thursday 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. as usual. We’re always here to help!

i-SPARC

i-SPARC logo

Interdisciplinary Scholars Partnering for Action and Research with Communities

i-SPARC is a graduate school-community partnership program where community organizations define real-world challenges, and UWM scholar teams respond to these challenges through applied research, innovation, and collaboration. Graduate students from across the university will be selected annually to be members of the interdisciplinary i-SPARC teams that uniquely align with projects identified for the year. i-SPARC strengthens UWM’s role as a community-engaged research institution by aligning graduate education with Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s pressing challenges. The i-SPARC program includes training in Team Science, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Design Thinking, and Scholarly Communication, providing a great compliment to your formal academic training.

Attention Graduate Students:

  • Apply your expertise to real-world problems
  • Collaborate across disciplines
  • Gain hands-on experience creating impact in Milwaukee and Wisconsin
  • Add experience and products to your CV/resume
  • Earn stipend: $500.00/scholar awarded at end of project
  • Make an impact as a UWM i-SPARC Scholar!
Apply now!
Applications due August 21, 2026. (Note: Submit the Intent to Apply form prior to August 7, 2026 for priority consideration).
See the Resources section below for details on the projects and application information for the 2026-27 Academic Year.

What does being an i-SPARC Scholar require?

  • This is an in-person program with activities occurring on campus and in the community.
  • Academic year commitment (2-semesters)
  • 4-6 hours of commitment per week (time investments will vary across weeks)
  • Commitment to being a team member, working with and learning from the community partner and students from other disciplines
  • Interest in applying your skills to real-world problems.
  • Reporting to the Graduate School for mentoring and advisement for this project
  • Deliverables include, but are not limited to: A public presentation at the end of the project, a written report/technical paper for the partner organization, and other potential scholarly products (with approval of the Graduate School and the partner organization).

Resources

  1. Current Projects
  2. Application Instructions
  3. Intent to Apply
  4. Advisor Approval Form
  5. Application Form (Reminder: This is an in-person program with activities occurring on campus and in the community.)