UV-SPARK · One-day faculty roundtable workshop
UV-SPARK Inaugural Workshop Schedule
December 14, 2026 · All times are local (IST).
Workshop Co-Leads: Dr. Sumeet Dua (UMKC) and Dr. R. Seenivasan (VIT)
Three parallel research themes · Nine roundtables · One conference room
Research themes & table assignments
Theme I · Tables 1–3
AI, Biomedical Technologies & Digital Health
Theme II · Tables 4–6
Sustainable Materials, Environmental Technologies & Smart Systems
Theme III · Tables 7–9
Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine
Full-day agenda
| Time | Session | Leads / Participants |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00–9:30 AM | Registration, Networking, and Distribution of the UMKC Portfolio Lookbook* | All participants |
| 9:30–10:00 AM | Welcome and UMKC–VIT Operational kickoff: UV-SPARK vision, matchmaking format, and expected outputs | Dr. Sumeet Dua and Dr. R. Seenivasan |
| 10:00–10:30 AM | Inauguration, VIT Chancellor’s Address, UMKC Chancellor live online, and other dignitaries (Bilateral Executive Session) | Dr. G. Viswanathan and Dr. Mauli Agrawal |
| 10:30–10:45 AM | Refreshments | |
| 10:45–11:15 AM | UMKC Domain Consolidator briefings: Flagship labs and school/unit portfolios | Drs. Ganesh, Wyckoff, Lohfeld, and Rahman |
| 11:15 AM–Noon | Parallel Thematic Roundtables: Sprint 1: expertise mapping and research challenges | Nine VIT Table Champions; rotating UMKC delegation |
| Noon–12:45 PM | Sprint 2: joint brainstorming, prioritization and team formation | Nine roundtables |
| 12:45–1:45 PM | Lunch and Networking | All participants |
| 1:45–2:45 PM | Parallel Joint Research Project Development: UV-SPARK Project Quad Chart per table covering 6- and 12-month milestones | Nine roundtables |
| 2:45–3:15 PM | Research Forum I: AI, Biomedical Technologies & Digital Health | Theme I representatives |
| 3:15–3:45 PM | Research Forum II: Sustainable Materials, Environmental Technologies & Smart Systems | Theme II representatives |
| 3:45–4:15 PM | Research Forum III: Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine | Theme III representatives |
| 4:15–5:00 PM | Research Priorities and Six-Month and One-Year Action Plan (Confirming Flagship Wave-1 teams led by in-room faculty and scheduling 21-day virtual handoffs for brokered Wave-2 teams) | Co-leads and theme leads |
| 5:00–5:30 PM | Closing Discussion and Commitments | Drs. Seenivasan and Dua |
| 6:30–7:30 PM onwards | Dinner and Reception | All participants |
Morning thematic roundtables
11:15 AM–12:45 PM
All three themes conduct these activities simultaneously within the same conference room.
- 11:15 AM–12:45 PM
Sprint 1A: Introductions, Expertise and Capability Mapping
VIT–UMKC Capability Matches
- 11:15 AM–12:45 PM
Sprint 1B: Research Challenges and Collaborative Opportunities
Shortlist of Promising Research Directions
- 11:15 AM–12:45 PM
Sprint 2A: Joint Research Brainstorming
Candidate Bilateral Project Concepts
- 11:15 AM–12:45 PM
Sprint 2B: Project Prioritization and Team Formation
Priority Concepts and Named Prospective Investigators
Afternoon project development
1:45–2:45 PM
- 1:45–2:15 PM
Develop Bilateral Synergy, Research Question, and Preliminary Approach
Quad Chart quadrant 1
- 2:15–2:30 PM
Confirm Named Investigators and a Feasible Zero-Cost Proof of Concept
Quad Chart quadrants 2 and 3
- 2:30–2:45 PM
Identify Candidate Funding Calls, Milestones, and Pitch; Finalize Slide
Quad Chart, quadrant 4 and presentation-ready slide