1. CAREER Proposal Budgeting Workshop Sponsored Programs Office May 17, 2011

2. NSF CAREER Award Program Goals NSF’s most prestigious award for young faculty Foster the effective integration of research and education at all levels Foundation-wide support for increased participation of those traditionally underrepresented in science and engineering

3. CAREER Budget Basics Minimum size (generally the maximum) – $400k; $500k in BIO and OPP Duration: 5 years Prior to preparing a CAREER proposal it is strongly encouraged the PI contact their disciplinary program director to discuss appropriate budget requests and typical funding levels for the specific discipline.

4. Budget Basics Budget equals roughly $80K per year You will need to budget for each year of funding (multiple year budget) – Not every activity must happen in every year For example, some outreach can happen in later years, every other year, etc. – Remember, costs escalate in later years Don’t forget GACS and reduced F&A rate

5. Budget Personnel PI salary (no salary for other collaborators) – One month summer is a good starting place. – Two month max; five year duration – Academic year salary can be requested for PI, but not normal. NSF views this as a concern: PIs who have heavy teaching responsibilities or who must conduct field work during the academic year should not budget academic salary. Postdoctoral fellows – Remember, if you include funds for a post-doc a mentoring plan will be required

6. Budget Personnel Graduate students – Try to include students, especially in education and outreach activities – Can budget more than the minimum stipend Undergraduate students Education and/or outreach activities Funds for an evaluator Other personnel (no senior personnel, but could budget technician, etc.)

7. Budget Participant Support – Contains Costs of transportation Per diem Stipends Other related costs for participants or trainees (but not employees) Must be in connection with NSF-sponsored conferences, meetings, symposia, training activities and workshops. – Indirect costs are not allowed (on participant support). – The number of participants to be supported must be entered in Fastlane in the proposal budget.

8. Budget Materials and Supplies – Contains tangible personal property, other than equipment, costing less than $5,000 – Cost estimates must be included for items that represent a substantial amount of the proposed line item cost Equipment – If included, reviewers may wonder if this should have been part of your start-up package

9. Budget Travel – Include some travel, make specific plans but you will have flexibility Publication, Documentation and Dissemination – Includes reports, reprints, page charges or other journal costs – A more exhaustive list can be found at nsf.gov

10. Budget Budget Restrictions – No support for collaborators or other “senior personnel” – Unallowable costs: entertainment, meals and coffee breaks, alcoholic beverages – Check with A-21 for additional unallowable costs or search the Michigan Tech website for “unallowable costs”

11. Budget Budget should align with and support research and education plans – Don’t identify an activity without showing budget support for it. Thus, education and outreach must be included unless supported from other funds. – You can leverage existing programs for a greater impact with modest budget.

12. Budget Justification Justification – Documents and justifies the amounts requested in each category – 3 pages, explain your budget in words, provide complete unambiguous information. E.g.: Participant support costs: rates, numbers, etc. Do not make reviewers guess why you have included an item or why you have budgeted a specific amount. Explain!

13. Budget Advice Recognize that you must make choices. – $80k per year is not much money and goes quickly. – Use those choices to show your determination to carry out your CAREER research and education program.

14. More Information Most of this information is available with additional detail in NSF’s Grant Proposal Guide and the CAREER program solicitation

15. Any Questions?