NSF CAREER Award Proposal Development Resources [1]
Resources on this page will help faculty develop their NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award project and write a successful proposal.
The next NSF deadline for submission of CAREER proposals is July 24, 2024 (all directorates).
Online Course: How to Write a Successful NSF CAREER Proposal 2023
Course is available on-demand to all UMass Amherst faculty, staff and students until March 2024
This online course provides a comprehensive and detailed discussion of the NSF CAREER program and how to write a winning proposal, stepping through the process from developing an idea to interpreting reviews. The course includes videos, downloadable slides, and resources.
Register here: [2]
NSF CAREER Program website - program summary and a link to the solicitation: NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program [3] (NSF 22-586) [3]
Overview of the NSF CAREER Program Purposes
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Emphasizes the importance NSF places on early development of academic careers in which the excitement of research is enhanced by inspired teaching and dissemination of new knowledge.
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Aims to provide stable support at a sufficient level and duration to enable awardees to develop careers not only as outstanding researchers but also as effective, committed educators.
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Aims to encourage faculty and academic institutions to value and support the integration of research and education, in which the process of discovery stimulates learning and assures that research findings are quickly and effectively communicated in a broader context and to a large audience.
Guidelines - Key Points
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NSF-wide. All directorates participate
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Eligibility - Assistant Professor in a tenure-track position
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Single PI projects, but can support other senior personnel in limited roles
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Minimum budget $400K ($500K for BIO, ENG and Polar Programs) over 5 years, Includes indirect (59.5%)
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Can receive only one CAREER award
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Can submit 3 times
NSF CAREER Directorate & Division Contacts: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/career/contacts.jsp [4]
NSF Organization List (useful for finding core programs): https://www.nsf.gov/staff/orglist.jsp [5]
Sample NSF CAREER proposals:
Examples of the Departmental Letter of Support from UMass Amherst CAREER proposals [6]
UNC-Chapel Hill, NSF CISE CAREER Workshop http://cisecareerworkshop.web.unc.edu/materials/ [7]
Proposal guides:
Guiding questions for the CAREER Education Plan and Broader Impacts sections [8]
Guiding questions for the CAREER Introduction/Overview and Intellectual Merit sections [9]
Related resources:
Office of Research Development Broader Impacts of Research website: https://www.umass.edu/research/proposals/develop-proposal/broader-impacts [10]
Contact:Office of Research Development ord@umass.edu [11]