NSF CAREER Proposal Workshop Tips
Last year I had the opportunity to sit through the CAREER Proposal Workshop (Engineering). I wanted to be prepared when I decided to submit to have the inside scoop. If you have the opportunity definitely sign up. If you are unable to participate I wanted to drop some takeaways here for you to glean from.
General Information
In general you want to make sure you have a good idea about the program you will submit to and introduce yourself to the program managers. If you have questions or would like to get initial thoughts on your topic its best to send an email to the program you specifically want to submit to with a one page summary (Abstract style). Read the solicitation package thoroughly to make sure you are including all information and following all guidelines. Seek feedback on your proposal early. Give all letters writers a heads up early and deadline of when to get you the information. Give yourself a buffer to submit your full proposal.
Here are the Key Takeaways you want your reviewers to have after reading your CAREER Proposal
Within 5 to 10 years.......
What field do you want to be in?
What will be your contribution?
What do you want to be known for as a researcher and educator?
What does the trajectory look like to accomplish this task?
Proposal Writing
The main parts of proposal are broken down into two areas Project Summary and Project Description.
The project summary you should focus on giving and overview of the research and highlight the intellectual merit and broader impacts. This will be seen on the public NSF website.
The project description can be considered the meat of the proposal where you go into your research, career vision, hypothesis/objectives, approach, education plan, integration of teaching and research.
Intellectual merit (contribution to field) and broader impacts (contribution to society) are two of the most important things to highlight in your proposal. Make sure what is written for these two sections is in alignment with the priorities for the program you will apply for.
Make sure your proposal is compelling, coherent, and has a clear strategy.
Graphics are a great way to show complex ideas, relationships, and methodology.
Your project summary should be different from your introduction in the project description.
For the integrated research portion do not limit education to graduate and undergraduate students you can also consider the community.
Education portion should be beyond your job requirements. What is meaningful to you?
Be mindful of the amount of preliminary work you include.
Reasons for Resubmission
Project concept not well supported by substantive Literature Review
Scope/Approach not clearly defined
Activities are too broad numerous
Integration of research and education is not clear.
Project outcomes were not clearly stated.
Does this impact the long term CAREER Vision? Needs to be more than incremental.
I hope this information is a helpful snapshot of what to think about when doing a CAREER Proposal. Wishing you much success during your process.
If you want to learn more sign up for "The Early Career Webinar Series" by clicking on the link below. I share different aspects to prepare you for your third year review as a new early career faculty.
