The Office of Research Development (ORD) offers a wide variety of resources to help you find funding opportunities and develop strong, competitive proposals. See more below.
View the Supporting Your Research: Finding Funding video, featuring Loren Walker (Director, Office of Research Development) and Marco Monoc (Executive Director, Foundation Relations), on the Office of Faculty Development's page.
Articles and resources in Research Development & Grant Writing News address how faculty can use proven competitive strategies to achieve success in a very difficult funding climate. Newsletter articles written by the co-publishers share expertise gained in a combined 32 years of experience in research development and grant writing at Texas A&M University.
June 2025 (requires UMass credentials)
This is the final issue. The newsletter is being retired.
Table of Contents:
- A Note to Readers From Mike Cronan
- A Note to Readers From Lucy Deckard
- Topics of Interest URLs
- June 2025 Select List of Humanities, HSS, and Arts Opportunities & News
- NEH Grant Opportunities for the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence (2026)
- Statement of NSF priorities, Updated June 14
- What NSF Plans to Fund in 2026
- Funding in the News
- Introduction To Grant Writing: A Collection of Essays
- New Funding Opportunities
All Archived Monthly Newsletters (requires UMass credentials)
The SSTI Funding Supplement, a publication of the State Science & Technology Institute, provides application information, eligibility criteria, and submission deadlines for hundreds of funding opportunities offered by the federal government, foundations, and others.
March 10, 2026 (requires UMass credentials)
All Archived SSTI Funding Supplements (requires UMass credentials)
What are Broader Impacts? Why do I need them?
The National Science Foundation (NSF), the nation's major sponsor of fundamental research, developed the concept of broader impacts to encompass the potential of research activities to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes, such as advancing research translation, improving STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, expanding the diversity of the science workforce, and increasing the public understanding of science.
This page provides information and links that researchers can draw on to develop the broader impacts components of their NSF and other research proposals. There is no boilerplate. Each broader impacts component must be specific to, and integrated with, the research project being proposed.
Many investigators are wondering how to navigate the Broader Impacts sections of their National Science Foundation (NSF) proposals in response to new federal government priorities. View helpful information in the Office of Research Development (ORD) website post: Inclusive and Compliant — Writing Broader Impacts Statements for Today’s Climate.
- The NSF Broader Impacts website showcases examples of desired societal outcomes and broader impacts projects.
- View more Broader Impacts Resources here to learn how to develop, implement, and evaluate broader impacts activities.
- Contact: For more information on developing your broader impacts plan, contact the Office of Research Development at @email.
Overview
NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program
Program Purposes
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- NSF-wide. All directorates participate
- Eligibility: Assistant Professor in a tenure-track position
- Single PI projects, but can support other senior personnel in limited roles
- Can receive only one CAREER award
- Can submit 3 times
Departmental Letter of Support Examples
The letter of support from the candidate’s department head is a very important component of a successful CAREER proposal and must contain specific information per the solicitation. Here are examples (using pseudonyms):
- Successful letter candidate
- Unsuccessful letter (successful letter the next year for the same candidate)
NSF CAREER Directorate & Division Contacts
NSF Organization List (useful for finding core programs)