The National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) “offers the Foundation’s most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.”
ENG-CAREER Proposal Workshop
The 2024 workshop will be held virtually over three days: May 15 – 17, 2024
- Key objectives and features of the program
- Proposal review and selection process
- Writing strategies
- Mock panel review session
CISE CAREER Workshops
Information for the 2024 workshop not yet released. Click the link above to access pages for previous workshops, many of which contain links to presentations and materials. The 2022 site includes sample proposals to different CISE programs.
Proposal submission deadline: Fourth Monday in July, annually
Eligibility: A Principal Investigator may submit one proposal per annual competition and may participate no more than three times (excludes proposals that are withdrawn before review or returned without review). Proposers must also:
- Hold a doctoral degree in a field supported by NSF;
- Be engaged in research in an area of science, engineering, or education supported by NSF;
- Hold at least a 50% tenure-track position as an assistant professor;
- Be untenured; and
- Have not previously received a CAREER award
Award information: CAREER awards, including indirect costs, are expected to total a minimum of $400,000 over 5 years, with the following exceptions: Awards for proposals submitted to the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO), the Directorate for Engineering (ENG), or the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) are expected to total a minimum of $500,000 over 5 years.
Required proposal elements:
- Cover Sheet
- Project Description
- Education Activities
- References
- Biographical sketch
- Departmental letter
- Budget
- FAQs for the CAREER Program for Submission Years 2020 – 2025
- CAREER Proposal Submission Logistics Webinar
- CAREER Directorate and Division contacts
- Recent Awards
- NSF Toolkit
- Keys to a Competitive NSF CAREER – Hanover Research (2019)
- FAQs for NSF CAREER – Hanover Research (2019)
- NSF CAREER Proposal Writing Tips – Z.J. Pei (2011). Book, free download.
- Five Tips You Need to Know to Obtain an NSF CAREER Award – University of New Mexico
- CAREER Resources – Kansas State University
- Presentation Slides
- Writing Your CAREER Proposal – George Hazelrigg, Former NSF Deputy Division Director, Acting Division Director and Program Director
- ENG CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop: Perspectives on the CAREER Proposal – Carole Read, CBET and Georgia-Ann Klutke, CMMI
- NSF CAREER Proposal Preparation – Purdue University (2018)
- Navigating the NSF CAREER Award (in CSR) – Randal Burns, Johns Hopkins University (2018)
- CAREER Proposals: Integration of Research, Education, & Outreach – Robert McCabe, NSF Program Director
- Webinars & Videos
- 2023 NSF CAREER webinar recording
- Webinar slides: 2023 CAREER Webinar
- Webinar slides: “Demystifying the NSF CAREER Program: Tips from a Program Officer” Dec. 2018
- NSF CAREER Awardees Panel Discussion – University of Central Florida (2016)
- NSF CAREER Award Panel Discussion – Michigan State University (2019)
- Developing a Competitive Education Plan for Your NSF CAREER Proposal – UC Berkeley (2022)
- An Overview of the NSF CAREER and Developing, Implementing, and Writing a High-Quality Integrated Research and Education Plan (IRP) – 2018
- Writing an Education Plan – Florida State University
- Common questions about the NSF CAREER education plan and activities – UC Berkeley (2017)
- Developing an effective education plan for your NSF CAREER Award application – Columbia University (2016)
- National Academy of Engineering – Projects – Education Area of Interest
- Council on Undergraduate Research
- Hanover Research: NSF CAREER: Educational Activities & Broader Impacts – Use your WUSTL information to download the recording.
- NSF Broader Impacts Website
- NSF 101: Five tips for your Broader Impacts Statement
- WU’s The Institute for School Partnership (ISP) (Faculty Engagement)
- NABI Broader Impacts Guiding Principles and Questions for National Science Foundation Proposals
- National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
- NSF 2002 User-Friendly Guide to Project Evaluation
- WU Center for Integrative Research on Cognition, Learning, and Education (CIRCLE)
- Hanover Research: NSF CAREER: Educational Activities & Broader Impacts – Use your WUSTL information to download the recording.
- How to Nail Broader Impacts in Your Next NSF Grant Application – American Society for Microbiology
- NSF Merit Review Website
- CBET CAREER Mock Review Panel video
McKelvey Awardees
List of McKelvey CAREER awardees
WU Center for Teaching & Learning
WU Grants Library
Funded CAREER proposal (Dan Giammar) (WUSTLKey protected)
WU Center for Integrative Research on Cognition, Learning, and Education (CIRCLE)
Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Research Initiation Initiative (CRII)
Deadline: second Wednesday in August
The CISE CRII program provides up to $175,000 for 2 years to early career investigators, with the expectation that these funds will support one or more graduate students for up to two years.
Eligible PIs will be untenured faculty or research scientists in the first 3 years of their primary academic position after receiving their PhD (but not more than 5 years after completion of their PhD). Applicants may not have received any other grants or contracts as the primary PI from any department, agency or institution of the federal government.
Note: The CRII complements CISE’s investments in the NSF CAREER program. For example, the CRII may help PIs produce enough preliminary research to help prepare for other research awards such as the CAREER. Unlike CAREER proposals, there is not a specific education component required.