1. Strategies for Successful Proposal Development
NSF CAREER Award
Strategies for Successful Proposal Development
March 28, 2016
Some information used with permission from UW Delta Program

2. Agenda Overview of NSF CAREER award criteria and framework
Panel: Strategies and advice
Breakout sessions with panelists
Networking and reception

3. Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program
Most prestigious awards to help a junior faculty member develop activities that can effectively integrate research and education within the context of his/her organization.
In 2014, CAREER Proposals submitted by New PIs - 66%
Awards to New PIs - 54%

4. CAREER Program Goals
Provide stable support for 5 years (≥400K in most Directorates; BIO, GEO/PLR, ENG are ≥500K) to allow the career development of outstanding new teacher-scholars in the context of the mission of their organization.
Increase participation of those traditionally underrepresented in science and engineering.
Build a foundation for a lifetime of integrated contributions to research and education.
Provide incentives to universities to value the integration of research and education.

5. Eligibility Criteria
Hold a doctoral degree in a field supported by NSF by the proposal deadline
Be untenured as of Oct 1st following proposal deadline
Be employed in a tenure-track (or equivalent) position as an Assistant Professor
Have not previously received a CAREER award
Have not had more than two CAREER proposals reviewed in the past
Untenured Associate Professors are not eligible

6. CAREER Proposal Components
Compelling research plan
Innovative but feasible education plan
Plan for effective integration of research + education activities (evaluation plan is a big plus)
Departmental letter
Statements of collaboration, if relevant/appropriate
Budget that is consistent with the scope of research and education activities
Biosketch

7. Research and Education
Integration of
Research and Education

8. How will your research impact your education goals and how will your education activities feed back into your research?
Promoting teaching, training and learning
Example: involving others (graduate, undergraduate, K-12, high school teachers, public) in your research using new tools, field components, web outreach, cyber networks, etc.

9. How will your research impact your education goals and how will your education activities feed back into your research?
Broadening participation of underrepresented groups
Example: Hosting students and/or teachers from under-served demographic groups; integrating a service teaching project in your course

10. How will your research impact your education goals and how will your education activities feed back into your research?
Enhancing the infrastructure for education
Examples:
Searching for new methods to deliver your research results to a broader audience than those in the immediate research community
Using the broader community to gather data for your research (crowdsourcing; “citizen science”)

11. Approaching your Education Plan
• Your approach to your education plan should be thoughtful / informed and create new opportunities
– Avoid reinventing wheels
• Do some background research in advance
– Seek connections and collaborations on campus
• Leveraging the expertise and infrastructure of existing centers/programs
• Seeking collaborators with expertise in the area
• Have a well-considered assessment/evaluation plan

12. Your Education Plan
Develop a creative plan that ties to your research- the education plan can be a way to strengthen your brilliant research proposal
Do NOT propose something you have no interest in doing
Education part (no matter how wonderful) cannot make up for a deficient research plan.

13. Education component – critical to success!
Your education component - innovative and creative
Demonstration of prior results with successful education activities is a plus
Leverage activities at Columbia that have relevance to your research
Make sure that the education activities are well integrated with the research – otherwise, the workload will not be manageable
Who will benefit from the proposed activities?
How will you know if these activities are having an impact? (evaluation & assessment?)

14. Do… seek out the assistance of your peers and colleagues.
something you are genuinely excited about.
partner with groups/centers on campus to take advantage of existing infrastructure.
leverage existing NSF funds.
give a detailed timeline.

15. I should have…
talked with my Program Officer before submitting the grant…
started earlier
included funding for education activities in my budget
not overcommitted- proposing too much is as bad as proposing too little
proofread and polished far ahead of the deadline
not cut and pasted from my research papers - it makes a poor read

16. Be Persuasive
Demonstrate that your ideas are creative and will make an impact in your field. (Sell the idea.)
• Demonstrate that you are capable of carrying out what you propose. (Sell yourself.)
• Demonstrate that you are motivated to conduct the proposed work. (Sell your enthusiasm.)

17. Most common mistakes made by applicants on
research component
Work is too close to what has been done before
Techniques and methodology are not cutting edge
Project has too large a scope or is too narrowly focused to be exciting
Proposed methods/research plan are not likely to yield results that will address the stated goals of the project
The experimental/theoretical/analytical design is flawed
Resources not available or PI does not have demonstrated expertise in the area

18. Most common mistakes made by applicants on education component
Education component is generic and what is expected of any PI
Unrealistic – too ambitious; too broad, etc.
Reinventing the wheel – another website, another blog, etc.
Research and education plans are not aligned or integrated
Lack of understanding of what is effective in education – scholarship of the education component (contact the CTL!)

19. Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers
PECASE:
Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers
NSF selects up to 20 nominees for PECASE from among the most meritorious new CAREER awardees.
Selection is based on two important criteria:
Innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology that is relevant to the mission of NSF, and
Community service demonstrated through scientific leadership, education or community outreach.

20. Panel advice and discussions
NSF Award Recipients:
Ryan Abernathey, Assistant Professor of Earth & Environmental Sciences (2016)
Kartik Chandran, Associate Professor of Earth & Environmental Engineering (2009)
Christine Hendon, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering (2015)
Laura Kaufman, Professor of Chemistry (2008)

21. Panel advice and discussions
NSF CAREER Reviewers:
John Cunningham, Assistant Professor of Statistics
Julia Hirschberg, Professor & Chair of Computer Science