NSF CAREER Grant Writing

The College of Arts and Sciences is offering a grant writing mentoring program to support your submissions for the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER), which are due annually in July. The schedule for the 2020 program will be available during spring semester.

National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER):
The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is one of 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.

Proposal Due Dates: 2019 CLOSED; Third week in July, Annually Thereafter

Support Documents and Information:

• Overview presentation from the 2019 Workshop (PDF)
• Proposal Submission Process presentation from the 2019 Workshop (PDF)
• Writing Schedule (Docx)
• Tip Sheet: NSF CAREER (Docx)
• Recording of the May 9, 2019 NSF CAREER Webinar (with Q&A)

Grant Opportunity Information

Kick-Off Workshop

The main goal of the event is to provide first-hand information about the NSF CAREER program in general.

Topics are:

• General overview of CAREER proposals
• Review process
• Tips and experiences by CAREER awardees
• Submission process
• College support and program outline

Writing Support

Faculty will meet weekly (or meet “virtually”) in small peer-support writing groups to evaluate and critique each other’s proposals. Groups will consist or 3-5 faculty with similar research interests or in similar disciplines and grouped based on prior CAREER submission experience.

The main objectives for these meetings are:

• Provide Peer Support
• Accountability: Set SMART goals for writing portions of the grant and meet deadlines

These weekly meetings will take place throughout the month of May (and can be short meetings on days and times that work for the group).

The College will provide additional support for proofreading and compliance checking of support materials, including biosketch, budget justification, and facilities, equipment and other resources pages.

Constructive Feedback

In addition, faculty will be partnered with one or two KSU faculty mentors (including one in a related research area, and possibly one outside the area of research) who will critique the proposals at least two times.

Finally, the proposals will be sent to and critiqued by an external reviewer.

Proposed timeline

Note that the timeline may differ for individual faculty, and is subject to variables including new versus resubmission of proposals

In addition, note that not all faculty will need all elements of this program: for example, you may want to receive the internal and external feedback, but not meet with a support writing group.

Information Workshop: Date to be determined for April 2020

Career Webinar: May 9, 2019 2-4 pm.

Peer-support writing groups: Throughout month of May: 4-5 weekly meetings

Internal Faculty Feedback: Twice during May and June

External Review: Send to external reviewer (approximately June 7th). Receipt of External Feedback (approximately June 21st)

College Proofreading: During June

Final revisions and submission: July

Proposal due dates:

• BIO, CISE, EHR: July 17, 2019; Third Wednesday in July, Annually Thereafter
• ENG: July 18, 2019;  Third Thursday in July, Annually Thereafter
• GEO, MPS, SBE: July 19, 2019; Third Friday in July, Annually Thereafter