1. How to submit a successful NSF CAREER proposal
May 1st, 2019, Chicago
May 2nd, 2019, Evanston

2. Maria Galent, CRA Research Administrator, School of Communication NSF CAREER Proposal Enthusiast
NSF Grants Conference, November 2018
NCURA PRA Conference, March 2018, March 2019
NSF CAREER Workshop Series 2019, Office of Research Development, April 2019
Submitted successful CAREER proposal, July 2018
Currently working on (hopefully successful!) CAREER proposal for July 2019 deadline

3. What is NSF CAREER Program and what is so unique about it?
Faculty Early Career Development Program
“Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science 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.”
“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”
Competing only with early career faculty

4. NSF CAREER Award (~first 5 years of my vision/long term goal)
VISION (long term goal, “what do I want to be known for in the next 10 (or more) years?”
NSF CAREER Award (~first 5 years of my vision/long term goal)

5. CAREER Awards at School of Communication
CAREER: Computational Journalism: Integrating Algorithms and People in the Production of News Information
Nicholas Diakopoulos, PhD
CAREER: Understanding and Addressing Geographic Inequalities in Location-Aware Technologies
Brent Hecht, PhD
CAREER: Advancing Online Social Support for Older Adults with Disabilities
Anne Marie Piper, PhD
CAREER: Leadership for Virtual Organizational Effectiveness
Leslie DeChurch, PhD
CAREER: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to the Next Generation of Collaborative Technologies
Darren Gergle, PhD
CAREER: The impact of interorganizational network evolution on outcomes for nongovernmental organizations
Michelle Shumate, PhD
CAREER: Collaborative Information Behavior: Exploring and Supporting Collaboration during Information Seeking and Retrieval Activities
Madhu Reddy, PhD

6. What is NSF interested in funding? (especially for the CAREER Program)
Basic research, new knowledge, advancing the field
NSF Big Ten Ideas:
NSF Directorates and research areas:
Encourages women, minorities and underrepresented groups, persons with disabilities
What is the potential for the proposed activity to:
advance knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields (Intellectual Merit);
benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes (Broader Impacts)?
“Exciting research that is also going to work”

7. From ORD NSF CAREER Workshop Series 2019

8. How to submit a successful NSF CAREER proposal: how can RA be part of the success?

9. Differences between CAREER and other NSF proposals:
Communication with Program Officer (PO) strongly encouraged (Ask early/Ask often!)
PI eligibility: tenure-track position as of October 1 after the proposal submission, and untenured as of October 1 following the proposal submission
Submission limit: 3, award limit: 1
5 years of support
Budget: minimum $400,000 ($500,000 for BIO, ENG, and Polar)
Co-I not allowed
Proposal deadlines: July 2019 (different dates for each directorate)
Additional components: Department Chair’s letter, Educational Plan
If the PI transfers from one institution to another, CAREER must transfer with the PI

10. Can you apply? PI Eligibility
Hold a doctoral degree by proposal deadline
Be untenured and employed in a tenure-track (or tenure-track- equivalent) assistant professor position at an eligible institution as of October 1st following deadline (associate professor is not eligible)
Have both research and educational responsibilities at the eligible institution
Have not previously received a CAREER award
Have not had more than two CAREER proposals reviewed previously
For specific/complex cases, and more details on PI eligibility, visit NSF CAREER FAQ:

11. The power of Program Officer and why your PI should contact the PO early
The PI should contact their PO as early as March/April with 2-page summary and ask for a phone conversation
PO can encourage/discourage submission
PO can direct to a different NSF directorate or another Federal Agency
Provides advice in multidisciplinary research
Provides advice on the budget size
Will discuss and address potential strengths and weaknesses
PO decides on the review panel composition
The role of PO in the review process:

13. Benefits of joining NSF review panel
Gain first-hand knowledge of the merit review process
Learn about common problems with proposals
Discover proposal writing strategies
Meet colleagues and NSF Program Officers managing the programs related to your research
NSF Merit review process
More detail, how to join and why: iew_feb16.pdf

14. Things to consider at the beginning of the process:
What does the PI want and what does NSF want?
What does the specific directorate/division want?
Is this project too risky for NSF to fund? Make sure you understand the timeline (5 years)
Do you have any previous data? (it makes proposal “safer”; also having a reputation in the field is always helpful)
What is special about YOU?
Has this idea already been funded? Find out here:
Code=1045&ActiveAwards=true

15. Northwestern Research Development
Direct your PI to ORD
NSF CAREER Workshop Series – every other year
Individual consultation
Plenty of resources (including previous successful proposals)
Nicole Moore, DSc:
Karen Cielo, PhD:

16. Peers, peers, and more peers! Encourage your PI to connect with:
Colleagues experienced with NSF awards/proposals
Colleagues with CAREER awards
Faculty who served on the review panels
Senior faculty, Dean of Research, experts in proposal reviews
Mentors, advisors, collaborators
Anyone willing to be the “second pair of eyes”
Proofread and spell-check
Review previous CAREER proposals

17. Do not underestimate crucial CAREER proposal components:
Educational Activities
Broader Impacts

18. Educational Activities
Your plans should reflect your own disciplinary and educational interests and goals, as well as the interests and needs of your organization. While excellence in both research and education is expected, activity of an intensity that leads to an unreasonable workload is not.
For instance, teaching additional courses or taking on additional duties is not expected.
What is expected is a well-argued and specific proposal for activities over a 5-year period that will build a firm foundation for a lifetime of integrated contributions to research and education. The research and educational activities do not need to be addressed separately if the relationship between the two is such that the presentation of the integrated project is better served by interspersing the two throughout the Project Description.
Examples: innovative course design, workshop, support for teacher preparation
Have a budget line for Educational Activities – reviewers will love it! (consultants, advisory board, workshop cost)
Science in Society; Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching

19. Broader Impacts NSF cares about social issues
View the award as a “community service”:
“how can you contribute to the community”
Resources at NU (and beyond):
Office of Community Education Partnerships
Center for Civic Engagement (has a list of organizations)
Science in Society (also helps with Educational Plan, literature review and references)
Neighboorhood & Community
National Alliance for Broader Impact

20. Working on the proposal – the RA jumps into the game

21. Department Chair Letter
Start early! With July deadline the Chair my be on vacation or attending a conference
Proposal will be rejected without signed Department Chair Letter
2 pages limit – use that space!
Must affirm that the investigator's appointment is at an early-career level equivalent to pre-tenure status (eligibility)
Shows commitment to the PI’s proposed CAREER research and education activities
Includes description of how the PI’s career goals and responsibilities mesh with
that of the organization and department
Describes how the department will contribute to the professional development of the PI with mentoring and whatever is needed to further the PI’s efforts to integrate research and education
ORD has sample letters and may assist Department Chair with writing
Upload as Supplementary Document in Fastlane

22. Budget
Minimum limits – check with Program Officer on what is the typical max limit for the specific division; review what’s been funded on NSF Web site
Programs may prefer to make awards with budget close to the anticipated minimum size (check with your Program Officer)
Co-I not allowed
Include students’ support (undergrad and graduate)
Education Plan components
International activities are encouraged if appropriate for the project
Budget justification: 5 pages limit – take advantage of those pages, provide details and descriptions, make it appealing to the reviewers and budget folks
PI effort: be reasonable – this is part of the “vision”, PI’s effort should not be too small

23. Other proposal components:
Current and Pending Support: level of effort; is the PI capable of managing CAREER award if they are overcommitted?
Biosketch
Facilities
Data Management Plan (NU Library has assistants)
Letters of Collaboration (follow PAPPG for the format); letters of recommendation are prohibited
Review most recent PAPPG for any updates, revisions, requirements, etc.
Project Description: make sure there is a section “Results from Prior NSF Support”. This section must include Broader Impacts and Intellectual Merit (if more than one, use the most closely related to the CAREER. If none, state none)
Review Project Description along with PI, to make sure all pictures, graphs, arrows, etc. are in place
Standard proposal review: margins, fonts, page numbers, etc…

24. Proposal is Not Accepted or Returned Without Review – why?
It is inappropriate for funding by the NSF, or the specific Directorate
It is a duplicate of, or substantially similar to, a proposal already under consideration by NSF from the same submitter OR it duplicates another proposal that was already awarded
Co-I listed on the cover page
Department Chair Letter missing
Not meeting PI eligibility criteria
It does not meet NSF proposal preparation requirements

25. Proposal has not been funded – what’s next?
Contact PO right after receiving the note and ask for specific comments
Discuss with the PO how the proposal can be improved for resubmission
If not eligible for CAREER, what are some other PO’s suggestions
Join review panel
Start working on the resubmission

26. Resources for RA and PI:
NSF CAREER Web site:
ORD:
NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG)
CAREER Program Solicitation: NSF
Next Deadline Dates
▪ BIO, CISE, EHR: July 17, 2019
▪ ENG: July 18, 2019
▪ GEO, MPS, SBE: July 19, 2019

27. Ask Early, Ask Often!
Maria Galent, CRA