A Joint Academic–Industry Research Initiative

SPARQAI

Strategic Partnership for Advanced Research in Quantum & AI

A structured programme connecting faculty researchers with enterprise sponsors — turning frontier academic work in AI and Quantum Computing into co-branded, industry-relevant publications.

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About SPARQAI

Where Academic Research Meets Enterprise Relevance

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Faculty researchers at leading universities are producing some of the most consequential work in Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing today. Yet much of that work struggles to find a direct path into enterprise application, not because of its quality, but because the structures to bridge that gap rarely exist.

SPARQAI — the Strategic Partnership for Advanced Research in Quantum & AI — is a joint academic-industry initiative launched and supported by Avasant for advancing academic research in Quantum and AI. By connecting faculty researchers with enterprise sponsors through focused co-research engagements of up to 12 weeks, SPARQAI transforms frontier academic work into co-branded, published research, giving your work the visibility, funding, and industry context it deserves.

The initiative is further strengthened by the guidance of the UCLA Office of Advanced Research Computing CEO Advisory Board, whose members include senior executives from leading global companies. Their involvement ensures that SPARQAI's research agenda remains grounded in real enterprise priorities — so the work produced through SPARQAI is not only academically rigorous, but immediately relevant to the industries that need it most.

The SPARQAI Model

How SPARQAI Works

A structured five-step process — from sponsor commitment to published research — designed to be transparent, efficient, and impactful for sponsors and researchers alike.

1
Sponsor Commits
An enterprise sponsor confirms their commitment and selects a research theme in AI, Quantum, or AI + Quantum Convergence aligned to their strategic priorities.
2
Faculty Matched
SPARQAI identifies a qualified professor from a partner university whose research expertise and lab capacity align with the sponsor's chosen theme.
3
Introductions Facilitated
SPARQAI makes introductions. The professor reviews the theme and confirms the engagement — including identifying the graduate student from their group who will execute the research.
4
12-Week Co-Research
The professor's graduate team works alongside the sponsor's analysts over 12 structured weeks, supervised by the professor throughout.
5
Co-Branded Paper Published
The engagement produces a co-branded research paper carrying both the university's institutional name and the sponsor's brand — published through SPARQAI's platform.
Research Tracks

The Frontiers of Innovation

SPARQAI is open to faculty research across three tracks. Submit your proposal under the track that best reflects your work — sponsors are matched based on thematic alignment with your research focus.

Track 01
Artificial Intelligence
  • LLMs & Reasoning
  • Agentic AI
  • AI Governance
  • Enterprise Automation
  • Explainability
  • Multimodal AI
  • Decision Intelligence
Track 02
Quantum Computing
  • Quantum Algorithms
  • Optimization
  • Error Correction
  • NISQ Applications
  • Post-Quantum Cryptography
  • Quantum Hardware
  • Simulation
Track 03
AI + Quantum Convergence
  • Quantum ML
  • Hybrid Systems
  • Quantum-Enhanced AI
  • Quantum NLP
  • Scientific AI
  • Drug Discovery
  • Enterprise Quantum Advantage
2026 Thematic Priorities
Intelligent Enterprise
Agentic AI, automation & AI-at-scale governance
Quantum Advantage in Practice
Near-term quantum applications with measurable business edge
Security in the AI & Quantum Era
Post-quantum cryptography, adversarial AI & threat detection
Robotics & AI
AI-driven robotics, autonomous systems & human-machine collaboration at scale
Sustainable Intelligence
Energy-efficient AI & quantum for climate & materials science
Human-AI Collaboration
Ethics, equity, workforce transformation & AI policy
For Faculty Researchers

What You Gain Through SPARQAI

SPARQAI is built around the needs of faculty researchers — providing funding, industry access, and a publishing platform without disrupting your existing research programme.

🎓
Graduate Student Funding
A sponsor funds a graduate student's tuition within your research group upon match — with no grant application or competitive process required.
📄
Co-Branded Publication
Your research is published as a co-branded paper under your university's name and the sponsor's — through SPARQAI's platform — giving your work enterprise reach and market credibility.
🤝
Curated Industry Match
Participation is by thematic alignment, not open competition. SPARQAI matches your proposal to a sponsor whose strategic priorities align with your research focus.
🌐
Global Visibility
Findings are amplified through SPARQAI's global thought leadership platforms, reaching enterprise leaders, policymakers, and innovators worldwide.
🎤
Empowering Beyond Conference
Selected researchers are invited to present their work at the Empowering Beyond summit — a flagship event attended by Fortune 1000 executives and innovation leaders.
2026 Inaugural Cohort
Submit Your Research Proposal
Submit your research proposal to SPARQAI's matching database. If a sponsor selects a theme aligned with your work, we will contact you directly to facilitate the engagement — including funding for a graduate student in your research group.
No grant competition. Participation is by thematic match. You submit your proposal once — SPARQAI handles the rest.
Submit Research Proposal
Outcomes & Visibility

From Research to Real-World Impact

SPARQAI produces tangible outputs that extend well beyond the research paper — creating lasting value for researchers, sponsors, and the broader innovation ecosystem.

🔬
Joint Research Projects
Structured 12-week engagements co-produced by faculty research groups and enterprise sponsors — combining academic rigour with real-world business context.
📑
Co-Branded Publications
White papers, journal submissions, and industry reports — published under both the researcher's university and the sponsoring company, suitable for academic and market-facing use.
🎤
Annual Symposium & Innovation Exchange
Forums bringing together academia and industry to present findings, spark new collaborations, and showcase the frontier of AI and Quantum research.
🌐
Global Visibility
Research insights amplified through SPARQAI's global thought leadership platforms — reaching enterprise leaders, policymakers, and innovators worldwide.
Get Involved

Ready to Bring Your Research
to the Enterprise?

Submit your research proposal and join the 2026 inaugural SPARQAI cohort. We will contact you directly when a sponsor match is identified.

Submit Research Proposal
connect@sparqai.org