Research and Innovation

Recommended Timeframe: August-October

• Have a doctoral degree in an NSF-supported field,
• Engaged in NSF-supported research,
• Hold at least a 50% tenure-track or tenure-track-equivalent assistant professor position,
• Untenured, and
• Have not reviously received a CAREER award.

NSF limits individuals to three CAREER proposal submissions.

Meeting the eligibility requirements, however, does not necessarily mean this is the best year to submit.

Ask yourself:

• What do I want my research program to accomplish over the next five years and beyond?
• What is the larger vision that connects this project to my career trajectory?
• How can my research and educational activities complement and strengthen one another?
• What broader impacts could result from the project?
• Is the project well aligned with an NSF program or directorate?
• Have I developed enough preliminary work, expertise and collaborations to make a compelling case?

Determine whether CAREER is the right opportunity for you and whether you are ready to develop a competitive proposal.

Recommended Timeframe: September - December

A CAREER proposal should communicate more than an individual research project. It should articulate a cohesive vision for how your research and education activities will develop over the course of the award and contribute to your long-term career.

Begin outlining:

Your Research Vision

Consider the important questions your research program will address and how the proposed work advances your field.

Your Education Vision

Identify educational activities that authentically connect with your research interests and expertise rather than existing as an unrelated addition to your research plan.

Your Broader Impacts

Consider who could benefit from your work and how the research and educational components might contribute to your field, students, communities or society.

The Connection

Think carefully about how the different elements fit together. Research, education and broader impacts should contribute to a coherent career-development story.

Develop a one-page concept summary that captures your central research question, long-term research goals, educational goals, broader impacts and the connections among them.

Recommended Timeframe: Fall - Winter

You do not have to develop a CAREER proposal in isolation.

Identify the NSF program that appears to be the best fit for your research and review the program's portfolio of previously funded projects. When appropriate, contact the relevant NSF program officer to discuss whether your proposed work aligns with the program.

At UToledo, begin building your proposal support team as well. Depending on your project and needs, that might include:

• Your department chair
• College research leadership
• Research administrators
• The Office of Research and Innovation
• Grant development staff
• Previous NSF CAREER recipients
• Faculty mentors
• Community, education or industry partners
• Colleagues who can provide subject-matter or proposal feedback

Register for an Internal Panel Review program.

Recommended timeframe: January–March

Once you decide to pursue a CAREER proposal, work backward from the NSF deadline and establish your own internal milestones.

Your timeline might include target dates for:

1. Completing your project concept
2. Developing research aims
3. Developing your education plan
4. Identifying broader impacts activities
5. Confirming collaborators and partners
6. Preparing an initial Project Summary
7. Completing a first Project Description draft
8. Obtaining peer or mentor review
9. Revising the proposal
10. Developing the budget and other required documents
11. Obtaining required departmental documentation
12. Completing UToledo's internal review and routing
13. Submitting the final proposal

Starting early gives you time not just to write the proposal, but also to test, receive feedback on and strengthen your ideas.

Don't make the NSF deadline your personal deadline. Build sufficient time into your schedule for institutional review and to resolve unexpected issues. NSF CAREER proposals are currently due annually on the fourth Wednesday in July at 5 p.m. the submitting organization's local time, although investigators should always verify the current NSF funding opportunity before planning a submission. 

Recommended timeframe: February–May

Now begin turning your CAREER vision into a complete proposal.

As you write, keep the reviewers' perspective in mind. Your proposal should make it easy for reviewers to understand:

• What you want to accomplish
• Why the work matters
• How you will conduct the research
• What is innovative about your approach
• How research and education are integrated
• Who will benefit from the work
• Why you are well positioned to carry out the project
• How the project advances your long-term career vision

Don't wait until the entire proposal is finished to seek feedback. Sharing your concept, Project Summary or individual sections early can help uncover issues while there is still plenty of time to address them.

Recommended timeframe: May–June

Strong proposals rarely emerge from a single draft.

Ask colleagues, mentors and other experienced reviewers to evaluate your proposal from different perspectives. Subject-matter experts can assess the science, while someone less familiar with your work can help identify places where your argument or significance may not be immediately clear. 

Register for an Internal Panel Review program.

As you revise, pay particular attention to:

• The clarity of your central research vision
• Intellectual Merit
• Broader Impacts
• Integration of research and education
• Feasibility of the work
• Organization and readability
• Consistency across proposal sections
• Responsiveness to the solicitation and NSF requirements

Allow enough time between reviews to thoughtfully incorporate feedback rather than simply making last-minute edits.

Recommended timeframe: June–July

As the NSF deadline approaches, shift your attention from proposal development to final review and submission.

Work with your UToledo research administration team to ensure that the budget, proposal documents, institutional approvals and submission requirements are completed on time. Make sure to start your InfoEd record in before the minimum Lead Time Rules.

Before submitting:

• Review the current CAREER solicitation one final time.
• Review the applicable NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide.
• Confirm that all required components are present.
• Verify page limits and formatting requirements.
• Check your references, figures and citations.
• Make sure information is consistent across proposal components.
• Allow adequate time for UToledo's internal review and submission process.