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SPARC-V - Vagus Nerve Mapping and Physiology

**Reconstructing Vagal Anatomy (REVA) 75N98022-SPARC-RFP-28Jan2022**
PI Name	Institution Name	Title
SHOFFSTAL, ANDREW	CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY	RECONSTRUCTING VAGAL ANATOMY
ZANOS, STAVROS	FEINSTEIN INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH	RECONSTRUCTING VAGAL ANATOMY

**SPARC VNS Endpoints from Standardized Parameters (VESPA) (U54 Clinical Trial Required) RFA-RM-22-002**
PI Name	Institution Name	Title
OSBORN, JOHN W (contact) EBERLY, LYNN E IKRAMUDDIN, SAYEED LIM, HUBERT HYUNGIL MACEFIELD, VAUGHAN GARY NAHAS, ZIAD	UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA	REVEAL - Research Evaluating Vagal Excitation and Anatomical Linkages

SPARC-O - Open-source Neuromodulation Technologies

**SPARC Human Open Research Neural Engineering Technologies (HORNET) Initiative (U41 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) RFA-RM-21-024**
PI Name	Institution Name	Title
KILGORE, KEVIN L (contact) CHESTEK, CYNTHIA ANNE SMITH, BRIAN	CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY	Cleveland Open Source Modular Implant Innovators Community (COSMIIC)
MENG, ELLIS (contact) HITTI, RAJA EDWARD PIKOV, VICTOR	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	HORNET Center for Autonomic Nerve Recording and Stimulation Systems (CARSS)

SPARC-X - Challenge Competition

**Neuromod Prize - Phase 2**
Winners	Title
DIMARCO, ANTHONY F.	High-frequency spinal cord stimulation reduces respiratory tract infections and improves bowel management in people with neurological impairment
JUNIPER BIOMEDICAL (formerly RBI Medical)	Ultraprecise, selective pelvic neuromodulation therapy treats stress urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, and fecal incontinence using a minimally invasive micro-implant
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.	StimXS, neuromodulation of the lumbosacral spinal cord, automatically regulates cardiovascular, respiratory, and urinary systems after spinal cord injury
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH DEPARTMENT OF UROLOGY	A multichannel implantable device for sacral-pudendal neuromodulation addresses bladder, bowel, and sexual disorders

**Neuromod Prize - Phase 1**
Winners	Title
BIOS HEALTH	The Autonomic Therapy Initiative, data-driven stimulations of the vagus nerve using neural biomarkers, modulates cardiac function and minimizes side effects on off target organs
DIMARCO, ANTHONY F.	High-frequency spinal cord stimulation reduces respiratory tract infections and improves bowel management in people with neurological impairment
GENERAL ELECTRIC RESEARCH, in collaboration with NORTHWELL HEALTH YALE UNIVERSITY	A single, image-guided ultrasound treatment induces a response in the gut-brain sensory pathway to provide sustained remission in Type 2 diabetes and obesity
GRILL, WARREN (and collaborators) DUKE BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING	Electrical recording and stimulation of the sacral nerve with closed-loop bioelectronic control restores bladder and bowel function
NEUROENGINEERING & PAIN RESEARCH (NPR) LAB UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT	Synchronized pulse and sinusoidal stimulation of sacral dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and nerve roots relieves chronic visceral pain in the lower abdominal organs by selectively blocking C-fiber neural transmission
RBI MEDICAL	Ultraprecise, selective pelvic neuromodulation therapy treats stress urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, and fecal incontinence using a minimally invasive micro-implant
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.	StimXS, neuromodulation of the lumbosacral spinal cord, automatically regulates cardiovascular, respiratory, and urinary systems after spinal cord injury
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH DEPARTMENT OF UROLOGY	A multichannel implantable device for sacral-pudendal neuromodulation addresses bladder, bowel, and sexual disorders

SPARC 1 - Anatomical and Functional Mapping of the Innervation of Major Internal Organs

**Targeted Needs to Achieve SPARC Program Goals (OT2) OTA-20-004**
PI Name	Institution Name	Title
ARMITAGE, OLIVER	BIOS HEALTH LTD	Efficient mapping of neuromodulation therapy parameters to complex biomarker spaces
DANZIGER, ZACHARY C	FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY	A New Paradigm for Systems Physiology Modeling: Biomechanistic Learning Augmentation with Deep Differential Equation Representations (BLADDER)
GAUNT, ROBERT A	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH	Simulations of spinal cord recruitment to optimize bioelectronic interventions for lower urinary tract control
LIU, ZHONGMING (contact) CHENG, LEO	UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR	The Virtual Stomach
MAHMOUDI, BABAK (contact) KOTHARE, MAYURESH V	EMORY UNIVERSITY	CONTROL-CORE: A Modular Simulation Environment for Design and Prototyping of Closed-loop Peripheral Neuromodulation Control Systems using the O2S2PARC Platform
PATEL, BHAVESH	CALIFORNIA MEDICAL INNOVATIONS INSTITUTE	SODA - Desktop Software to Enhance the SPARC Data Curation Workflow
VADIGEPALLI, RAJANIKANTH	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	Modeling network dynamics of cardiac right atrial ganglionic plexus to enable in silico testing of vagal neurostimulation strategies

**Limited Competition - Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC): Comprehensive Functional Mapping of Neuroanatomy and Neurobiology of Organs (OT2) RFA-RM-15-018**
PI Name	Institution Name	Title
BOLSER, DONALD C	UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA	Functional mapping of peripheral and central circuits for airway protection and breathing
HOWARD, MARTHE J	UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO HEALTH SCI CAMPUS	Anatomical-Functional Mapping of Enteric Neural Circuits
HUBSCHER, CHARLES H. (contact) HARKEMA, SUSAN J	UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE	Functional Mapping with Lumbosacral Epidural Stimulation for Restoration of Bladder Function After Spinal Cord Injury
POWLEY, TERRY L.	PURDUE UNIVERSITY	Mapping Stomach Autonomic Circuitry and Function for Neuromodulation of Gastric Disorders
SHIVKUMAR, KALYANAM (contact) FOWLKES, CHARLESS GRADINARU, VIVIANA HABECKER, BETH A LIBERLES, STEPHEN DANIEL PATERSON, DAVID ZUCKER, IRVING H	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES	Comprehensive Structural and Functional Mapping of the Mammalian Cardiac Nervous System
TACHE, YVETTE FRANCE	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES	Comprehensive Structural and Functional Mapping of Mammalian Colonic Nervous System

**Limited Competition - Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC): Foundational Functional Mapping of Neuroanatomy and Neurobiology of Organs (OT2) RFA-RM-15-020**
PI Name	Institution Name	Title
CAMPBELL-THOMPSON, MARTHA L	UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA	Neuromodulation-based treatment of diabetes: identifying anatomical and physiological pancreatic innervation targets
KEAST, JANET R	UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE	Understanding functional connectivity of sensory and motor pathways to specific regions of the lower urinary tract.
LEWIS, STEPHEN JOHN	CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY	Functional Mapping of the afferent and Efferent Projections of the Superior Cervical Ganglion Interactome
MUENZBERG-GRUENING, HEIKE	LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR	Genetically-based neuro-modulation of adipose tissue functions
NAPADOW, VITALY	MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL	Mapping the linkage between auricular vagus nerve receptors and cardiovagal modulation
REARDON, COLIN (contact) RAYBOULD, HELEN E	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS	Mapping of the neuro-immune interface
SHEN, XILING	DUKE UNIVERSITY	Functional mapping of efferent gut neuroepithelial circuits
SOUTHARD-SMITH, E MICHELLE	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER	ENSMAP: Molecular and Functional Mapping of the Enteric Nervous System
SUN, XIN (contact) WANG, FAN	UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON	Foundational Mapping of the Neural Circuits that Control Intrinsic Lung Function
ZELTSER, LORI M	COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES	Foundational tools to study the impacts of sympathetic activity on the neuroanatomy and function of brown adipose tissue

**Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC): Foundational Peripheral Neuroanatomy and Functional Neurobiology in Under-Studied Organs (U01) RFA-RM-17-003**
PI Name	Institution Name	Title
FRENETTE, PAUL S	ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, INC	Evaluating neural circuitry of the bone marrow
KOLLARIK, MARIAN	JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY	Ionic and Structural Mechanisms for Sensory Neuromodulation of the Esophagus
OSBORN, JOHN W (contact) THOMAS, MARK JOHN VULCHANOVA, LYUDMILA H	UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA	Structural and functional neurobiology of renal nerves: A platform for neuromodulation of renal function
SCHELLER, ERICA LYNN	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY	PERIPHERAL NERVE DISTRIBUTION AND FUNCTION WITHIN THE SKELETON

SPARC 2 - Next Generation Tools and Technologies

**Exploratory Technologies to Understand the Control of Organ Function by the Peripheral Nervous System for SPARC (U18) RFA-RM-15-002**
PI Name	Institution Name	Title
ARDELL, JEFFREY L (contact) KIPKE, DARYL R SHIVKUMAR, KALYANAM	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES	Distributed electrode system for high-fidelity cardio-neural mapping
BRUNS, TIMOTHY M. (contact) YOON, EUISIK	UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN	Development of a novel multi-modal spinal root interface
DAVIS, BRIAN M (contact) GLORIOSO, JOSEPH C.	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH	Novel viral tools for control of bladder function and pain
DURAND, DOMINIQUE M (contact) LEWIS, STEPHEN JOHN	CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY	Novel nanowire interface with the autonomic nervous system to study hypertension
FARAJIDAVAR, AYDIN (contact) KIANI, MEHDI MILLER, LARRY S	NEW YORK INST OF TECHNOLOGY	An Implantable Wireless System To Study Gastric Neurophysiology
GEREAU, ROBERT (contact) ROGERS, JOHN	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY	Soft, conformal wireless optoelectronic systems for the long-term neuromodulation of bladder function
HORN, CHARLES CHRISTOPHER (contact) JENKINS, MICHAEL W.	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH	Defining gastric vagal mechanisms underlying emetic activation using novel electrophysiological and optical mapping technology
HOWARD, MARTHE J	UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO HEALTH SCI CAMPUS	Tool Building to Inform Structure-Functions relationships in the Autonomic Nervous System
OKUSA, MARK DOUGLAS (contact) HOSSACK, JOHN A	UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA	Tailoring ultrasound technology to explore mechanisms of activation of the splenic neuroimmune axis in attenuating acute organ injury
STROHL, KINGMAN PERKINS	CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY	A Tool for Neurotheraputic Therapy for Sleep Disordered Breathing
VULCHANOVA, LYUDMILA H	UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA	Selective peripheral neuromodulation through organ-specific AAV-mediated gene transfer
WELLS, JAMES M (contact) HELMRATH, MICHAEL A	CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR	Establishment of in vitro and in vivo models of human gastrointestinal organoids with a functional ENS

**Limited Competition - Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC): Technologies to Understand the Control of Organ Function by the Peripheral Nervous System (OT2) RFA-RM-16-003**
PI Name	Institution Name	Title
DAMASER, MARGOT S. (contact) BOURBEAU, DENNIS	CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COM-CWRU	Conscious ambulatory bladder monitoring to understand neural control of lower urinary tract function
MCLAUGHLIN, BRYAN L	MICRO-LEADS, INC.	Epidural Current-Steering for Selective Modulation of Lower Urinary Tract Function
MONAGHAN, JAMES R	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	Optical Nanosensors Detect Neurotransmitter Release in the Peripheral Nervous System
SEYMOUR, JOHN P (contact) BRUNS, TIMOTHY M. YOON, EUISIK	UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN	Highly-compliant Microneedle Arrays for Peripheral Nerve Mapping
STANLEY, SARAH AMY	ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI	Remote Modulation of the Peripheral Nervous System
WEIR, RICHARD FERGUS FFRENCH	UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER	Development of a Bidirectional Optogenetic Minimally Invasive Peripheral Nerve Interface with Single Axon Read-in & Read-out Specificity

**Limited Competition - Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC): Technologies to Understand the Control of Organ Function by the Peripheral Nervous System (OT2) RFA-RM-17-010**
PI Name	Institution Name	Title
AXELROD, STEVE	G-TECH, INC.	Adaptation and Extension of Wireless Wearable Patch System for Non-invasive Measurement of Myoelectric Signals from Gastrointestinal Organs
CLANCY, COLLEEN E (contact) GRANDI, ELEONORA SANTANA, LUIS F	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS	Development of the Predictive NeuroCardiovascular Simulator
GAUNT, ROBERT A	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH	Soft Silicone Electrode Nets: implantable technology for visceral organ neural interfacing and functional evaluation
GREGERSEN, HANS (contact) KASSAB, GHASSAN S	CALIFORNIA MEDICAL INNOVATIONS INSTITUTE	Fecobionics device for mapping colonic and anorectal neuromuscular function
GRILL, WARREN M	DUKE UNIVERSITY	Modeling Activation and Block of Autonomic Nerves for Analysis and Design
HAVTON, LEIF A	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES	Transmission Electron Microscopy Service for SPARC Consortium Investigators
HOLDER, DAVID S	UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON	Enhanced quantitative imaging of compound action potentials in multi-fascicular peripheral nerve with fast neural Electrical Impedance Tomography enabled by 3D multi-plane softening bioelectronics
JENKINS, MICHAEL W	CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY	Infrared Neuromodulation Reveals a New Understanding of Ganglion Organization
MILLER, LARRY S	FEINSTEIN INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH	Using the GI Tract as a Window to the Autonomic Nervous System in the Thorax and in the Abdomen
REZNIKOV, LEAH R	UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA	Transgenic Pigs with Red-Shifted Channelrhodopsin-Citrine Fusion Proteins
SOH, HYONGSOK TOM	STANFORD UNIVERSITY	Real-time biosensor for mapping the function of the pancreas
VAKOC, BENJAMIN JAMES	MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL	Novel optical coherence tomography tool development for quantitative peripheral nerve imaging

SPARC 3 - Translational Partnerships for Human Functional Mapping and New Indications

**SPARC Partnership Opportunity: Custom Arrangements for Device-Based Clinical Studies with Flexible Data and Intellectual Property Rights (OT2) OTA-18-019**
PI Name	Institution Name	Title
BRUNS, TIMOTHY M	UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR	Pudendal nerve mapping towards improved neuromodulation for urinary retention
CHEN, PENG-SHENG	INDIANA UNIV-PURDUE UNIV AT INDIANAPOLIS	Using electrical nerve stimulation to control atrial fibrillation
GREGERSEN, HANS	CALIFORNIA MEDICAL INNOVATIONS INSTITUTE	Neurophysiological mechanism in sacral neuromodulation in patients suffering from fecal incontinence
SHIVKUMAR, KALYANAM (contact) GREEN, ALEXANDER LAURENCE	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES	CARDIAC NEUROMODULATION IN HUMANS: MECHANISMS & THERAPIES
WARD, MATTHEW PETER	PURDUE UNIVERSITY	High Resolution, Noninvasive Measurement and Functional Classification of Vagal Nerve Response Patterns in Relation to Gastroparesis Symptom Management using Gastric Electrical Stimulation

**Pre-clinical Development of Existing Market-approved Devices to Support New Market Indications (U18) RFA-RM-16-009**
PI Name	Institution Name	Title
CANNING, BRENDAN J (contact) KOLLARIK, MARIAN MITZNER, WAYNE	JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY	Neuromodulation for Asthma
CHEN, JIANDE	JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY	Smart spinal cord stimulation for gastroparesis
YIN, JIEYUN NONE	TRANSTIMULATION RESEARCH, INC.	Vagal Nerve Stimulation for Diabetes

**Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC): Pre-clinical Development of Existing Market-approved Devices to Support New Market Indications (U18) RFA-RM-16-027**
PI Name	Institution Name	Title
CHEN, PENG-SHENG	INDIANA UNIV-PURDUE UNIV AT INDIANAPOLIS	Subcutaneous nerve stimulation for arrhythmia control.
HORN, CHARLES CHRISTOPHER	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH	Closed-loop neuroelectric control of emesis and gastric motility

SPARC 4 - Data and Resource Center

**Targeted Needs to Achieve SPARC Program Goals (OT2) OTA-20-004**
PI Name	Institution Name	Title
MARTONE, MARYANN E (contact) DE BONO, BERNARD	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	K-CORE: Curation and Knowledge Management for SPARC
PATEL, BHAVESH	CALIFORNIA MEDICAL INNOVATIONS INSTITUTE	SODA - Desktop Software to Enhance the SPARC Data Curation Workflow

**Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC): Data Coordination, Mapping, and Modeling Center (OT3) RFA-RM-16-008**
PI Name	Institution Name	Title
HUNTER, PETER JOHN	UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND	Multi-scale, multi-organ, multi-species SPARC map management
KUSTER, NIELS	IT'IS FOUNDATION	Open Platform for Online Simulations for Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions – o2S2PARC
WAGENAAR, JOOST B	BLACKFYNN, INC.	Blackfynn: A scalable and sustainable platform for scientific data integration and analysis

SPARC 5 - Visceral Pain Circuitry

Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC): Anatomical and Functional Mapping of Pain-Related Visceral Organ Neural Circuitry (U01 Clinical Optional)
RFA-RM-19-001
PI Name	Institution Name	Title
CHENG, ZIXI JACK	UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA	Nociceptive Afferent Topographical Innervation of the Heart and Stomach
FENG, BIN	UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT STORRS	Determining the topology and molecular profiles of nociceptive DRG neurons innervating distal colon and rectum
JULIUS, DAVID (contact) INGRAHAM, HOLLY A.	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO	Mapping gut-spinal cord connections in visceral pain
MULUGETA, MILLION	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES	Structural and functional mapping of visceral pain afferent neurocircuitries of the colorectum and bladder in preclinical models
TAYLOR-CLARK, THOMAS EDWARD (contact) KOLLARIK, MARIAN	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA	Comparative mapping of functionally distinct visceral afferent nociceptive pathways

Related Opportunities

**NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent R13) PA-16-294**
PI Name	Institution Name	Title
ROLANDI, MARCO	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ	Asilomar Bioelectronics Symposium 2017

This page last reviewed on July 10, 2025

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