Student experience

Mayo Clinic's Science Program for the Advancement of Research Knowledge (SPARK) gives you more than just a mentorship experience in a lab. As a SPARK scholar, you will:

• Spend a minimum of 25 hours interning in a laboratory setting
• Gain experience in basic science, the research process, critical thinking, and professional conduct 
• Produce a highly-competitive project that will be entered in a science fair
• Develop your technical and presentation skills
• Participate in a weekly Lunch and Learn series
• Engage in lab meetings and 1:1 meetings with a mentor
• Present your work-in-progress at the end-of-the-summer student oral presentations
• Present your final research poster at the end-of-the-year SPARK awards ceremony and poster session
• Become part of the Mayo Clinic research community

Lunch and Learn series

Each week scholars participate in a Lunch and Learn meeting series that is comprised of tours of special research areas (such as the Simulation Center, and Brain Bank), guest speakers presenting topics on college planning, career paths, and presentation skills.

Oral presentations, and awards ceremony and poster session

Scholars and mentors look forward to the end-of-the-summer oral presentations and end-of-the-year awards ceremony and poster session. In preparation for the oral presentations, scholars will create slides to present their research plan and findings to date. For the poster session, scholars will create a research poster showcasing the project and then have a chance to explain the research and findings, as well as celebrate completing the program with fellow SPARK peers, mentors, lab advisors, families, friends, and teachers.

Program requirements

Once accepted into SPARK, scholars must meet these program requirements:

• Orientation. All students must be available the first two weeks of June to attend the mandatory orientation and training — no exceptions will be given.
• Time commitment. All students are expected to spend a minimum of 25 hours per week in the lab during the summer to work on their research projects.
• Projects. When school is in session, students and mentors determine a flexible schedule to complete their research projects.
• Competitions.
• Students must compete in either the Northeast Florida Regional Science and Engineering Fair (NEFRSEF) or the St. Johns County Secondary STEM Fair.
• Students who attend a school within the Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) district must also submit their projects to the DCPS Secondary Science Fair, which is typically held each January.
• If regional projects are selected, students are expected to compete in state and international science fairs.