About SPARC
SPARC is a strategic partnership between the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory that provides opportunities for researchers to collaborate on high-performance computing, AI, physics, and engineering challenges of national importance.
What We Do
SPARC supports a broad and growing set of research activities, including:
- High-energy-density physics
- AI and machine learning for science and engineering
- Fundamental physics modeling
- Co-design of hardware and software
- High-performance computing methods and algorithms
- Multiscale and multiphysics modeling
Learn more about SPARC’s Areas of Research and the faculty involved here.
U-M and LANL researchers collaborate through:
- Joint research projects and white papers
- Bimonthly workshops at the 3520 Green Court Building
- Weekly technical exchanges and social gatherings
- Joint advising of students and postdocs
- Collaborative seminars and colloquia
Learn more about SPARC events here.
Why Join SPARC?
SPARC offers a unique platform for U-M faculty and students to engage with a national laboratory in a sustained and meaningful way.
Collaboration: LANL scientists are stationed at U-M to work alongside faculty and students on shared research goals.
Innovation: The program is designed to spark novel ideas by combining LANL’s mission-driven science with U-M’s academic creativity.
Mentorship: Students benefit from joint mentorship by U-M faculty and LANL scientists, exposing them to real-world scientific challenges.
How to Participate
We welcome participation from U-M faculty, researchers, postdocs, and students across disciplines. You can get involved by:
- Attending SPARC workshops and weekly exchange sessions (on Wednesdays)
- Proposing or joining a research project in a SPARC priority area
- Advising or co-advising students on SPARC-supported work
- Connecting with LANL collaborators through seminars and events
View upcoming SPARC Events and learn how to join the next workshop or seminar.
For more information or to explore collaboration opportunities, contact us at [email protected].
What is SPARC?
The Strategic Partnership & Accelerated Research Collaboration (SPARC) is a long-term initiative between the University of Michigan (through MICDE) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). SPARC supports joint research in areas that require deep computational expertise, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and scalable infrastructure.
The Michigan SPARC is headquartered on U-M’s North Campus, in the 3520 Green Court Building, where LANL scientists are embedded on campus for face-to-face collaboration with U-M faculty, students, and research staff. This structure fosters sustained engagement and enables breakthroughs in science, engineering, and national security.
To learn more about the national scope of this collaboration, visit the official LANL SPARC website.
Interested in collaborating?
If you are interested in SPARC, there are multiple ways to get involved, beyond current research themes. We welcome new project ideas and are actively expanding the scope of collaboration.
If you’ve connected with a LANL researcher or started a conversation about shared interests, we encourage you to contact MICDE or the SPARC team. We can help you explore next steps, connect your idea to existing research, and guide you toward a supported collaboration.
Contact us at [email protected] or [email protected] to start the conversation.