1. Proposal – NSF Proposal Template*
Cover Sheet (Sec. II.C.2.a)
Project Summary (Sec. II.C.2.b)
Project Description (Sec. II.C.2.d)
References (Sec. II.C.2.e)
Biographical Sketch (Sec. II.C.2.f)
Budget and Justification (Sec. II.C.2.g)
Current and Pending Support (Sec. II.C.2.h)
Facilities/Equipment/Other Resources (Sec. II.C.2.i)
Supplementary Documentation (Sec. II.C.2.j)
Departmental Support Letter
Collaboration Letters
*See GPG, NSF 09-1, effective January 5,

2. Solicitation Number: NSF 08-557
Cover Sheet
Solicitation Number: NSF
Unit of consideration – disciplinary program
Contacts:
Title – CAREER:…
Co-PIs – none!
PI Eligibility Certification –required
List Suggested Reviewers or Reviewers not to include (optional)

3. Formatting – applies to all sections
Font
Arial, Courier New, Palatino Linotype – 10pt or larger
Times New Roman, Computer Modern family – 11pt or larger
Vertical Spacing
no more than 6 lines of text per vertical inch
Page Formatting
at least 1 inch margins on all sides
no double columns
Pages Numbers
You must do this, it will not be done automatically
Number each section or number entire proposal consecutively

4. Project Summary MUST address in separate statements: 1 page
this may be the only page a reviewer reads if it is not impeccable
Self-contained description of resulting integrated research and education activities if funded (not an abstract of the proposal)
Include statement of objectives and methods
Written in 3rd person; avoid use of “I” or “we”
MUST address in separate statements:
Intellectual Merit
Broader Impacts

5. Project Summary - beginning
Paragraph 1, sentence 1 –
The research goal of this proposal is … (25 words or less, include research and education)
Then…
The research approach is … (2 or 3 sentence outline)
Then use the headings:
Intellectual Merit
Broader Impacts

6. Research Objective
This is what directs your proposal to the appropriate program.
Do not use words that mean “not research”, such as Develop, Design, Optimize, Control, Manage
Clearly state the “new”:
what problem are you trying to solve or
what question are you answering or
what hypothesis are you proving
Source: Hazelrigg et al., 2007 CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop, Univ. Hawaii

7. Research Objective Four Acceptable ways to do it right:
The research objective of this proposal is to test the hypothesis H.
The research objective of this proposal is to measure parameter P with accuracy A.
The research objective of this proposal is to prove conjecture C.
The research objective of this proposal is to apply method M from field Q to problem X in field R.
Source: Hazelrigg et al., 2007 CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop, Univ. Hawaii

8. Intellectual Merit
What is the scientific research contribution you will make to the knowledge base in your field?
Supported by:
Qualifications of PI(s)
Quality of prior work
Extent of creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts suggested and explored
Level of organization and development
Sufficient access to resources

9. Broader Impacts
What are the broad reaching impacts of this research if successful?
Why should the general public care about this project?
Could include:
Teaching, training, and learning
Broadening participation
Infrastructure impact
Broad dissemination
Benefits to society
Specific examples:

10. Project Description Proposed research project
Preliminary supporting data
Specific objectives
Methods and procedures
Expected significance of results
Proposed educational activities and plans to evaluate their impact
How research and educational activities are integrated
Results for Prior NSF support
15 pages

11. Project Description
Firm foundation for lifetime of contributions to integrated research and educational activities
All in the context of your organization
In consultation with department head
Research and Education Plan (5 years):
Well-argued and specific proposal activities;
Creative, effective and integrated plan;
Research and education plan can be presented together or separately;
Activity of an intensity that leads to a Reasonable workload is expected.

12. Typical Sections: Project Description
Results from Prior NSF Support – if any
Significance and Objectives (½ -1 page)
Background/Statement of Need (2 - 3 pages)
Research and Education Plan (6-10 pages)
Management Plan (½ - 2 pages)
Evaluation/Assessment (1 page)
Dissemination (½ page)
Summary (½ -1 page)

13. Results from Prior NSF Support
Describe RESULTS from these projects
Up to 5 pages of 15 total allowed
Conference proceedings
Published papers
Number/demographics students supported
Patents
Relate to current proposal -- how will this previous work support proposed work?

14. Significance and Objectives
Goals – big picture, long-term
Objectives – measurable outcomes for this project (research and education)
Tasks (if needed) – how the objectives will be accomplished
½-1 page

15. Background/Statement of Need
Why should the agency fund?
Global or national needs
Local needs
Literature Review
What is currently being done?
Where are the needs?
What are the missing pieces?
Why will your solution work?
2-3 pages

16. Research/Education Plan
Visualize what it will look like when you get the money
What will be different?
Who will be involved?
What will they do?
What happens first
What happens next
What is needed to get the job done?

17. Research/Education Plan
Step-by-step details
Be as specific as possible
Methodology section
Data collection
Procedures
Timeline
6-10 pages

18. Research/Education Plan
Ability to Perform
Experience of proposer
Preliminary results
Capacity of institution
Ability to conduct selected methodologies

19. Research/Education Plan
Either as a separate section or fully integrated into Research Plan
Broader Impacts discussion
NSF examples of broader impact activities:
Do literature review on educational research, too!
Teaching and learning in your field of study
Include plans to evaluate impact of proposed educational activities

20. For multiple PIs and Institutions
Management Plan
For multiple PIs and Institutions
Needed if you have multiple collaborators
Who will make decisions?
Who is responsible for each objective?
Advisory/visiting committees
½-2 pages

21. Evaluation/Assessment
How will you know you have accomplished goals and objectives?
Design a plan to evaluate education activities
Discuss data collection and analysis
Show anticipated outcomes
1 page or less

22. Summary
Re-cap:
Broader impact
Intellectual merit
Integration of research and education
Use this as a way to highlight the integration of research and education – the mission of the CAREER program, don’t leave the reviewers wondering
½ - 1 page

23. Cite any references in the rfp Use a consistent style of citation
Be complete, include state-of-the-art in your field (research and education!)
Cite any references in the rfp
Use a consistent style of citation

24. Biographical Sketch 2 pages only See guidelines (Sec. II.C.2.f)
Professional Preparation
Appointments
Publications – only 10 allowed
5 closely related to proposal
5 other significant
Synergistic Activities – broader impacts
Collaborators and Other Affiliations
To help in selecting/eliminating reviewers
This will be reviewed, too! It must support your proposed research
Shows your capacity to do the work

25. Budget and Justification
Start with a rough draft
Roughly $80K per year
1-2 months your salary
1-2 graduate students
No major equipment
Contact your pre-award administrator
Justification – 3 pages, explain your budget in words, provide complete unambiguous information
Budget should align with and support research and education plans

26. Supplementary Documentation
Departmental Letter
Collaborator Letters
No reference letters allowed
These will need to be scanned and uploaded to the Supplementary Documents section, not the Single Copy Documents Section.
DO NOT SEND ORIGINALS TO NSF!

27. Purpose Departmental Letter Verify PI eligibility
Demonstrate level of commitment of the department to the career plan of junior faculty member (e.g., value of and reward for integrating research and education)
Potential sustainability of CAREER awardee’s efforts in the department

28. Talk to your department head NOW!
Departmental Letter
Talk to your department head NOW!
Discuss your research and education plan
Usually about 1 page

29. Letter of Collaboration
Short letters
Commitment from collaborators
Support activities described in proposal
No recommendation or reference letters allowed!

30. NSF General Review Criteria
What is the INTELLECTUAL MERIT of the proposed activity?
What are the BROADER IMPACTS of the proposed activity?

31. Intellectual Merit
Importance of the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding in it’s field
Qualifications of PI
Quality of prior work
Extent of creative, original, and transformative concepts suggested and explored
Level of organization and development
Sufficient access to resources

32. Broader Impacts
Advancing discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning
Broadening the participation of under-represented groups (gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)
Potential impact on infrastructure for research and education (facilities, instrumentation, networks, partnerships, etc.)
Plans for broad dissemination
Benefits to society
See

33. Other Review Considerations
Integration of Research and Education
Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs, Projects, and Activities

34. Other Young Investigator Programs
ONR Young Investigator’s Program (YIP)
Last Due January 12, 2009
$170K/year, 3 years
Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards
Due February 6, 2009
$5K/1 year
Texas Space Grants Consortium New Investigations Program
Last Due February 8, 2008 (Look for it this month)
$10K/2 years

35. More Young Investigator Programs
Health Effects Institute, Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award
Due February 10, 2009
$300K/3 yr.
Broadening Participation Research Initiation Grants in Engineering (BRIGE)
Due February 13, 2009
$175K/2 years
AFOSR YIP
Last Due: July 22, 2008 (Look for it in Spring 2009)
$300K/3 years

36. More Young Investigator Programs
Beckman Young Investigator Program
Last Due October 1, 2008 (Look for this again Summer 2009)
$300K/3 years
NIH Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award (ONES)
Last Due October 31, 2008 (Look for it in September 2009)
$1.625M/5 years
ACS Petroleum Research Fund Grant Programs – Doctoral New Investigator Grants (DNI)
Due November 21, 2008 (Look for it again in Fall 2009)
$100K/2 years
Within 3 years of Ph.D.

37. More Young Investigator Programs
OPD has a comprehensive list of opportunities targeting new investigators:

38. NSF CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop – sponsored by NSF
Other Opportunities
NSF CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop – sponsored by NSF
Competitive acceptance
you submit your proposal and serve as a mock reviewer
November 10 deadline for March sessions
Look for this again next fall if you are interested

39. Resources Some successful CAREER proposals on-line:
2007 proposal (GEO – ATM)
2003 education plan (MPS - DMS)
2002 proposal (CISE - CCF)