CMU - Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance System (SPARCS) - Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance System (SPARCS)

SPARCS

Welcome to Carnegie Mellon University's online system for sponsored projects and research compliance. SPARCS provides online submission and processing for the following areas:
  •  Conflict of Interest (COI)
  •  Institutional Review Board (IRB)
  •  Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
  •  Funding Proposals (Proposals)

You can access SPARCS by following the SPARCS LOGIN link to the right. If you are having trouble and need assistance, please contact the SPARCS Help Desk. (Details under "Need help now?") Additional resources are available using the "Documentation and Training" link above.

Requirements for Accessing SPARCS

Two-Factor Authentication (2fa)

Effective April 20, 2017 all faculty, staff and students must use 2fa (DUO) to access SPARCS. For more information, see the Two-Factor Authentication (2fa) pages at www.cmu.edu/computing/2fa/. Please direct any questions to the Computing Services Help Center at it-help@cmu.edu or  412-268-4357 (HELP).

Off-Campus Access Requirements

Off-campus users will need to use the Cisco AnyConnect VPN client to access SPARCS. For more information on the VPN please visit this webpage.

SPARCS LOGIN

Recent News & Updates

  • The SPARCS Proposal Module will be receiving a minor update on Tuesday August 2, 2022 at 6:00pm.  It is expected that the patch will only take 15 minutes.  The patch will apply some new functionality as well as fix some known issues.  Below is a summary of the items that are changing.

    • A new PI Assurance Statement has been added for the Department of Energy (DOE).  This PI Assurance will appear on the Funding Proposal Workspace when the DOE or a DOE related entity is selected as the Direct or Prime Sponsor
    • The existing NSF PI Assurance Statement has been updated to reflect updated NSF hyperlinks
    • The Sole Source Justification template has been updated to reflect the new dollar threshold.  This template is accessible by selecting Generate Template on the funding proposal workspace
    • The help text on the Subcontract Attachments smartform has been revised to identify all necessary subcontractor paperwork that is needed for the funding proposal submission
    • A known issue existed that would not allow a user to edit a subcontractor budget after it was initially created. A fix has been applied to allow users to edit a subcontractor budget provided that the funding proposal is in an editable state.

Need help now?

SPARCS Help Desk Hours of Operation

Monday - Friday (CMU Business Hours)
7:30 AM - 4:00 PM EST

Events Calendar

Take a look at the Events Calendar for a schedule of SPARCS Proposal training, Approver training, Budget training and other SPARCS events.

SPARCS Maintenance Schedule

SPARCS will be unavailable every Wednesday from 6:00 AM to 7:00 AM for maintenance. Please visit the System Tips and Release Notes page for release notes.