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 in January and February. Faculty who intend to submit a CAREER proposal for the 2025 deadline are invited to also participate in the Academy cohort to receive individualized support from a Proposal Development Specialist and a “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 Academy cohort participation were due February 19, 2025. If you are interested in participating in the cohort, contact Jeri Hansen for more information.
NSF CAREER Academy Schedule
| Month | Activity |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | Information Session: Introduction to the NSF CAREER (includes a panel of faculty who have successfully obtained the CAREER award) January 31, 2025 |
| February 2025 |
Information Session: NSF CAREER Broader Impacts & Evaluation February 28, 2025 |
| March - May 2025 | Working with Proposal Development Specialists |
| Late May - June 2025 | "Red team" reviews for cohort participants (scheduled by the Research Development Division) |
| June - July 2025 | Working with Proposal Development Specialists |
| July 23, 2025 | Proposal submission |
*Faculty participants who apply to the cohort portion of the Academy are committing to submitting their proposal sections in a timely manner for review by their Proposal Development Specialist and the "red team" reviewers.
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 at no cost now through September 1, 2025. 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 instructions available in Box - please do not distribute outside of USU) 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 as part of the course:
- 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