Center for applied rationality — SPARC

Abstract

The Open Philanthropy Project endorsed a two-year grant of $304,000 to the Center for Applied Rationality (CFAR) to support the Summer Program on Applied Rationality and Cognition (SPARC). SPARC is a two-week program designed for high school students possessing exceptional mathematical ability. The grant, paid in two parts in 2016 and 2017, may encourage the participation of high-potential students, expanding their horizons and heightening their positive global impact. The funding would facilitate logistical aspects of SPARC and provide increased capacity for the people maintaining it. Furthermore, emphasis is placed on the potential for SPARC to nurture awareness about effective altruism and related issues. Risks associated with the grant are tied largely to the fact that the new logistics staff member will be managed by CFAR, stirring mild concerns about the effectiveness of this individual’s performance. The goals for the grant include reducing the amount of time spent by staff on logistics, improving organisation, increasing the program’s impact on participants through additional alumni events, providing cash reserves to SPARC, and furthering the capacity for future expansions. – AI-generated abstract.