[en] Full text: In the current presentation an overview about the envisioned program of the atomic physics research collaboration SPARC (Stored Particle Atomic Research Collaboration, http://wwwlinux. gsi.de/ sparc) at the future GSI accelerator facility will be given. This program can be associated mainly with four types of experimental studies: Highly relativistic heavy ions will be employed for a wide range of collision studies involving photons, electrons and atoms, and exploiting the large Doppler boost and the rapidly varying fields in those reactions. High-energy beams will be utilized for achieving high stages of ionization up to bare uranium nuclei. Fundamental atomic physics studies and model-independent determination of nuclear quantities with stable as well as radioactive atoms in well-defined charge states will be performed, applying atomic physics methods. An important scenario for this class of experiments will be the slowing-down, trapping and cooling of particles in ion traps. Low energy beams of high Z few-electron ions from an additional 'low energy' storage ring ('LSR') behind the NESR will be employed for collisions characterized by very large Sommerfeld parameters q/v