Find a Community-Driven, University-Led, or Secondary Data Applied Research Project
SPARK helps Michigan State University students find opportunities to apply their research, public health, data, writing, evaluation, and communication skills. Whether you are looking for an MPH applied practice experience, a medical student research project, a community-based project, a data analysis opportunity, or a way to explore local health priorities, we can help you identify opportunities that align with your interests and goals.
Community Research Opportunities Portal
The Community Research Opportunities Portal includes projects submitted by organizations, health partners, faculty, and local agencies. These opportunities may involve community-based research, program evaluation, health education, data analysis, report writing, literature reviews, and more.
Researcher
Opportunities Portal
The Researcher Opportunities Portal includes projects submitted by faculty and researchers at Michigan State University. These opportunities may involve data-based research, program evaluation, health education, survey analysis, report writing, literature reviews, and more.
Secondary Data Research Opportunities Portal
The Secondary Data Research Opportunities Portal highlights opportunities to use existing datasets to explore health trends, community conditions, and health equity. These projects may suit students interested in data analysis, epidemiology, policy, or population health.
Interested in an available research project(s)? Fill out the Student Interest form.
Student Resources
Guidance to help you plan your project, navigate research requirements, and make the most of your SPARK experience.
Before You Begin: Student Research Guidance
Before starting a project, students should identify a faculty mentor, project lead, or community partner, then clarify the project scope, timeline, expectations, and deliverables. Helpful questions to ask early include:
- Are there any data use, privacy, authorship, or IRB considerations?
- What is the main research, evaluation, or project question?
- Who is the intended audience for the final product?
- What data, materials, or community input will be used?
- What deliverables are expected?
- What is the timeline for completion?
- Who will provide supervision, feedback, and approval?
What You Could Gain
SPARK projects can help students build practical skills while contributing to work that matters. Through these experiences, students may have the opportunity to:
- Explore future career, research, or service interests
- Apply classroom learning to real-world public health and clinical questions
- Build research, evaluation, and data analysis skills
- Learn from community partners, faculty mentors, and public health leaders
- Develop products such as reports, abstracts, presentations, manuscripts, dashboards, or infographics
- Deepen understanding of health equity, community engagement, and local public health priorities
IRB and Human Subjects Research
Some SPARK projects may involve human subjects research, while others may be program evaluation, quality improvement, secondary data analysis, or educational projects. Because each project is different, students should not assume whether IRB review is or is not required.
Students should work with their faculty mentor or project supervisor to determine whether the project requires review by the Michigan State University Institutional Review Board or a formal human research determination. Projects involving interviews, surveys, focus groups, identifiable private information, medical or health data, or community member participation may require additional review before work begins.
When in doubt, students should ask early. IRB review or determination should be addressed before data collection, recruitment, analysis of identifiable information, or other research activities begin.
Tips for Writing a Paper, Report, or Abstract
Many SPARK projects may result in a written product, such as a report, poster, abstract, manuscript, policy brief, or community-facing summary. Strong written products usually begin with a clear question and a clear audience. A helpful structure may include:
- Background: What issue, community need, or public health problem does the project address?
- Purpose: What question or objective guided the project?
- Methods: What data, sources, or approach were used?
- Findings: What did the project show?
- Implications: Why do the findings matter for community health, practice, policy, or future research?
- Next steps: What should happen next?
Students should also consider whether the final product is intended for an academic audience, a community organization, a public health agency, or the general public. Community-facing products should use clear, accessible language and explain findings in a way that supports action.
Showcase your Completed Project
Have you recently completed a collaborative research, evaluation, public health, or applied learning project? SPARK wants to celebrate your work and help others learn from it. Submit your completed project through the Completed Research Project Form. If interested, your project may be featured in our SPARK Projects Showcase and/or on the See The Impact page to help inspire future student and community partnerships.
Why Share Your Project?
Sharing your completed project helps:
- Recognize the work of students, community partners, faculty mentors, and collaborators
- Demonstrate the value of community-engaged research and applied public health practice
- Inspire other students to get involved
- Help community organizations see what types of projects are possible
- Build visibility for local health equity, research, and evaluation efforts
- Create a growing archive of student and community partnership work
What Information Will You Be Asked To Share?
The Completed Research Project Form may ask for information such as:
- Student name, project team, faculty mentor, and/or project supervisor
- Community partner or collaborating organization
- Project summary
- Methods or approach
- Key findings, products, or outcomes
- How the project supported community priorities
- Any links, files, images, posters, abstracts, or publications
- Whether or not the project can be featured publicly