All About SPARK
As a SPARK intern in the year 2023 at the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (IIT Roorkee), I wanted to share some information about the program to those curious about it. I’ve included some details on eligibility, documents required and application process in this article. Reach the end of this article to find some extra tips which will give you an edge over other applicants!
What is SPARK?
A lot of Indian research institutes like IISc and IITs are launching summer research internship programs, to expose students to the kind of research being undertaken in India and encourage them to build a career in this field. Started in 2018, the SPARK program is a summer research internship program held at the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. It is a structured program, bearing more benefits than a conventional cold-email internship, including:
- It’s fully funded. Although you’ll be paying for accommodation and food while you’re there, the stipend interns receive is sufficient to cover expenses for the mess and hostel.
- You get a chance to meet other scholars and make new friends! I went on trips and made some great memories with like minded people, which really wouldn’t have been possible if I had not been part of a program.
- You get mentors and they make the entire process seamless. These mentors are generally graduate students who volunteer to take care of the entire logistics of the program.
- There are many events! My batch had an inaugural ceremony, we went on an industrial visit, IITR campus tour, and there was also a poster presentation session towards the end of the program.
- You’re given a temporary id card and you get to access most of the institute’s facilities during your stay.
Even though I’d say this article is a good start for understanding the program and application process, I would still suggest everyone to carefully go through the entire SPARK program website.
Eligibility
According to the website- “Students who are currently enrolled and have completed at least two semesters of the undergraduate degree (B.Arch./B.E./B.Tech./M.Sc./MA) in a relevant discipline from any institute in India.”
Which means it’s not only limited to Engineering undergraduate students!
However, there is a CGPA requirement that must be met by the applicant, depending on the type of home institution they belong to.
The CGPA criterion that is applicable this year:
CGPA > 7.5 for IITs/IISc.
CGPA > 8.0 for NITs/ IISERs/ NISER/IIEST/UM-DAECBS.
CGPA > 8.5 for students of other institutes.
Documents required and application process
Something I always recommend is to keep a checklist of documents needed for each application, especially when you’re applying for many programs.
Documents which are dependent on another person (for example, the Head of Department) for completion, should ideally be completed first. You don’t want to miss out on applying just because you couldn’t find the time to get a signature!
To start your application, you should register onto the portal in the SPARK website and login to view the status of your application. The portal is only active when applications are being invited, so you can’t create an account beforehand.
Make sure you are ready with the following documents and upload them on the online portal-
- Last semester marksheet of current degree
- Your photograph
- A 500-word research statement
- A 1–2 page resume
You also get to select your preferences from the list of faculty members interested in having a summer intern. You can select at most five faculty members.
And now…some BONUS TIPS from a past intern-
The research statement:
Be specific about your interests
Don’t give the professors a basket of “various research interests” to choose from. We all understand if you are exploring and haven’t fully decided which area you’re most keen on working in, but candidates with clarity can do a better job at convincing the faculty that they will remain committed to the project they will be taking up. Remove that ambiguity for your readers by mentioning fewer interests.
Show enthusiasm in the professor’s work
The same research certainly is happening in other labs across the country, and across the world! So, why their lab? Why them?
Do your homework before putting a faculty member’s name on your list!
Grammar and coherence!
It might be tempting to squeeze in all your achievements, interests and awards in the small word limit. Trying to do so, many applicants end up dropping articles and writing incomplete sentences. Focusing on content is important, but it must be delivered coherently! Grammar can’t be compromised at all, since highly experienced professors will be reviewing and selecting who they want to work with. Think of your research statement as a request to work under their guidance- would they appreciate incomprehensible English in that?
So how do you structure the research statement? As an applicant, you must be able to assess the relevance of the point you’re adding into your statement. Once you’ve done away with redundance, you will find ample space within the word limit to fit in everything that’s important, and still make sense.
The resume:
Focus on your experience, projects you’ve done and your skills. Awards, achievements and extracurriculars are important too, but keep them towards the end of the page. Try to use a template which efficiently uses space. Again, cut out unnecessary details! What you do in college holds more weightage than what you did in school, but of course, don’t exclude the school activities if you feel they’re going to make your resume stronger.
The photograph:
Pick a nice clear photograph to upload on your portal. It doesn’t have to be your ID card or JEE admit card photograph, but it should look professional.
That’s it! Now you know All About SPARK!
Good luck, applicants!