The National Science Foundation (NSF) offers the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program annually. The program is an NSF-wide activity that offers prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education (teacher-scholars) and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. Activities pursued by early-career faculty should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research.
The NSF CAREER Academy is designed to support and guide early-career USU faculty as they develop a compelling project description from conception to submission on July 23, 2025. Faculty who are interested in learning more about the NSF CAREER program are invited to attend the two information sessions. Faculty who intend to submit a CAREER proposal for the 2025 deadline are invited to also participate in the Academy cohort to receive individual support from a Proposal Development Specialist and a peer review (“red team” review) of their full proposal.
The NSF CAREER Academy is available to all USU faculty at no-cost. Participation in the two information sessions is open to all interested faculty. Participation in the Academy cohort is by application only.
Applications for cohort participation in the 2025 NSF CAREER Academy will open in December 2024/January 2025.
NSF CAREER Academy Schedule
| Month | Activity |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | Information Session: Introduction to the NSF CAREER (includes a panel of faculty that have successfully obtained the CAREER award) January 2025 (date TBA) |
| February 2025 | Information Session: NSF CAREER Broader Impacts & Evaluation Plans February 2025 (date TBA) |
| February 19, 2025: Application deadline to participate in the cohort program |
|
| March - May 2025 | Proposal Development Specialist support and monthly cohort meetings |
| Late May - early June 2025 | Peer review |
| June - July 2025 | Proposal Development Specialist support and monthly cohort meetings |
| July 23, 2025 | Proposal submission |
Upon completion of the NSF CAREER Academy, applicants will have: a project summary, a project description, a budget justification, an NSF-compliant biographical sketch, references compiled, and a facilities plan. Faculty participants who apply to the Academy are committing to submitting their proposal sections in a timely manner for review by their Proposal Development Specialist and peer review panel.
2025 Self-Study Online NSF CAREER Guide by Academic Research & Funding Strategies
USU has purchased institutional access for this online, self-paced NSF CAREER course. Access is available to all interested faculty through September 1, 2025. Please do not distribute access outside of USU. This online course provides a comprehensive and detailed discussion of the NSF CAREER program and how to write a winning proposal, stepping through the process from developing an idea to interpreting reviews. The course (access to be available soon) includes videos, downloadable slides, and the following resources:
- The NSF CAREER Program: The Basics
- Planning your research component
- Identifying your NSF program and talking to your PO
- Planning your education component
- Final planning steps and writing your proposal, step by step
- Understanding and responding to reviews
Background materials available for download upon course registration:
- The webinar slides with active hyperlinks
- Example outlines
- Excerpts from successful NSF CAREER proposals, annotated with comments
- Relevant articles from the Research Development & Grant Writing Newsletter