NSF CAREER and Track-4 Proposal Development Workshop

Eligible faculty in South Dakota who are considering submitting an NSF CAREER or Track-4 proposal are encouraged to attend this half-day Tuesday, Oct. 27, workshop (limited to 50 participants) offered virtually from 9 a.m.–12:45 p.m. CDT. Others interested in attending and strengthening their proposal writing skills may participate if slots are available. Dr. Kelvin Chu (former NSF program officer) with The Implementation Group (T.I.G.) will conduct the workshop.

• Description: NSF CAREER Program
• Description: NSF RII Track-4 Program
• Agenda: CAREER and Track-4 Workshop on Tuesday, Oct. 27
• Registration for CAREER and Track-4 Workshop

NSF CAREER Program

• The NSF Faculty Early-Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the NSF’s most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education 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. NSF encourages submission of CAREER proposals from early-career faculty at all CAREER-eligible organizations and especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities to apply.
• ⇒ See the May 2020 CAREER webinar slides and recording with captions.
• Eligibility: Proposers must meet all of the following eligibility requirements as of the annual deadline:
  • Hold a doctoral degree in a field supported by NSF;
  • Be engaged in research in an area of science, engineering, or education supported by NSF;
  • Hold at least a 50% tenure-track (or tenure-track-equivalent) position as an assistant professor (or equivalent title);
  • Be untenured; and
  • Have not previously received a CAREER award.
  • A Principal Investigator (PI) may submit only one CAREER proposal per annual competition and may not participate in more than three CAREER competitions.
• Submission Deadline: July 26, 2021

NSF RII Track-4 Program

• RII Track-4 provides awards to build research capacity in institutions and transform the career trajectories of non-tenured investigators and to further develop their individual research potential through extended collaborative visits to the nation’s premier private, governmental, or academic research centers. Through collaborative research visits at the host site, fellowship awardees will be able to learn new techniques, develop new collaborations or advance existing partnerships, benefit from access to unique equipment and facilities, and/or shift their research toward potentially transformative new directions.
• Eligibility: PIs employed by degree-granting institutions of higher education must hold a non-tenured faculty appointment at the time of proposal submission. This may be in the form of a pre-tenure tenure-track position or a long-term non-tenure-track position. Institutions may submit up to 3 proposals.
• Submission Deadline: April 13, 2021

• See FAQs for more details about Career Program.
• View details on the Title-4 Program.

Register for the CAREER and Track-4 Workshop on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

Agenda for Tuesday, Oct. 27

Presented by Dr. Kelvin Chu, Vice President, The Implementation Group (T.I.G.)

9:00 – 9:10 a.m. CDT: Welcoming Comments and Opening Remarks

9:10 – 9:15 a.m. CDT: Overview: The Implementation Group

9:15 – 10:00 a.m. CDT
Part I. Understanding the NSF CAREER Program

• NSF Program Overview and Goals
• The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program NSF EPSCoR RII Track 4 Program
• Role of NSF Directorate and Program Officers
• General NSF Criteria and Process

10:00 – 11:00 a.m. CDT
Part II. Proposal Development Best Practices and Strategies for Success

• Proposal development techniques, best practices, program management, project sustainability, and evaluation
• Helpful Hints and Pitfalls to Avoid

11:00 – 11:15 a.m. CDT: Break

11:15 – 11:45 a.m. CDT
Part III. Question and Answer

11:45 – 12:45 p.m. CDT
Part IV. Panel of CAREER and Track-4 awardees will share their experiences.

— CAREER Program
Dr. Travis Walker, Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE), South Dakota Mines

— Track-4 Program
Dr. Wenqin Xu, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, University of South Dakota

Register for the CAREER and Track-4 Workshop on Tuesday, Oct. 27.