One way to create a particle system where all particles move across a unit sphere surface.

ParticlesOnSphereApp.cpp

#include "cinder/app/AppNative.h"
#include "cinder/gl/gl.h"
#include "cinder/gl/Vbo.h"
#include "cinder/Camera.h"
#include "cinder/MayaCamUI.h"
#include "cinder/Quaternion.h"
#include "cinder/Rand.h"

using namespace ci;
using namespace ci::app;
using namespace std;

class ParticlesOnSphereApp : public AppNative {
public:
	void setup();
	void update();
	void draw();

	void mouseDown( MouseEvent event );
	void mouseDrag( MouseEvent event );
	void resize();
private:
	static const int kNumParticles = 10000;

	Vec3f mPosition[kNumParticles];
	Vec3f mAxis[kNumParticles];
	float mVelocity[kNumParticles];

	gl::VboMesh mVBO;

	CameraPersp mCamera;
	MayaCamUI mMayaCam;

	double mCurrentTime;
};

void ParticlesOnSphereApp::setup()
{
	// setup camera
	mCamera.setPerspective(45.0f, getWindowAspectRatio(), 0.1f, 100.0f);
	mCamera.setWorldUp( Vec3f::yAxis() );
	mCamera.setEyePoint( Vec3f(0, 0, -3) );
	mCamera.setCenterOfInterestPoint( Vec3f(0, 0, 0) );

	// create particles
	for(int i=0; i<kNumParticles; ++i) {
		// set a random position on unit sphere
		mPosition[i] = Rand::randVec3f();

		// set a random rotation axis of unit length
		mAxis[i] = Rand::randVec3f();

		// set a random velocity in radians per second
		mVelocity[i] = Rand::randFloat(0.1f, 0.5f);
	}

	// create dynamic VBO, so we can draw all particles in a single draw call
	gl::VboMesh::Layout layout;
	layout.setDynamicPositions();
	layout.setStaticIndices();

	std::vector<uint32_t> indices(kNumParticles);
	for(int i=0; i<kNumParticles; ++i)
		indices[i] = i;

	mVBO = gl::VboMesh(kNumParticles, kNumParticles, layout, GL_POINTS);
	mVBO.bufferIndices(indices);

	// keep track of time
	mCurrentTime = getElapsedSeconds();
}

void ParticlesOnSphereApp::update()
{
	// calculate elapsed time in seconds
	double elapsedTime = getElapsedSeconds() - mCurrentTime;
	mCurrentTime += elapsedTime;

	// update particles
	for(auto itr = mVBO.mapVertexBuffer(); itr.isDone(); ++itr)
	{
		size_t i = itr.getIndex();

		// slowly rotate around axis (adjusted for frame rate)
		mPosition[i] = Quatf( mAxis[i], (float)elapsedTime * mVelocity[i] ) * mPosition[i];

		// normalize position to avoid accumulating rounding errors
		mPosition[i].normalize();

		// update dynamic position
		itr.setPosition( mPosition[i] );
	}
}

void ParticlesOnSphereApp::draw()
{
	gl::clear();

	// enable camera
	gl::pushMatrices();
	gl::setMatrices(mCamera);

	// enable depth buffer
	gl::enableDepthRead();
	gl::enableDepthWrite();

	// draw particles
	gl::color( Color(1,1,1) );
	gl::draw( mVBO );

	// draw transparent sphere (using back face culling)
	gl::disableDepthWrite();

	gl::enableAlphaBlending();
	gl::color( ColorA(0.10f, 0.10f, 0.10f, 0.75f) );

	gl::enable( GL_CULL_FACE );
	glCullFace( GL_BACK );

	gl::drawSphere( Vec3f::zero(), 1.0f, 40 );

	gl::disable( GL_CULL_FACE );

	gl::disableAlphaBlending();

	// disable depth buffer
	gl::disableDepthRead();
	gl::disableDepthWrite();

	// disable camera
	gl::popMatrices();
}

void ParticlesOnSphereApp::mouseDown( MouseEvent event )
{
	mMayaCam.setCurrentCam( mCamera );
	mMayaCam.mouseDown( event.getPos() );
}

void ParticlesOnSphereApp::mouseDrag( MouseEvent event )
{
	mMayaCam.mouseDrag( event.getPos(), event.isLeftDown(), event.isMiddleDown(), event.isRightDown() );
	mCamera = mMayaCam.getCamera();
}

void ParticlesOnSphereApp::resize()
{
	mCamera.setAspectRatio( getWindowAspectRatio() );
}

CINDER_APP_NATIVE( ParticlesOnSphereApp, RendererGl )

funny, I got the sphere, but no particles...