Faculty Early Career Development Program

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program represents one of the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious award opportunities, aimed at supporting early-career faculty who exhibit the potential to be role models in both research and education. This program is foundation-wide and emphasizes the development of academic careers that integrate innovative research with inspired teaching. Through the CAREER Program, the NSF seeks to foster a culture where scholarly excellence is equally demonstrated in laboratories and classrooms, and where scientific discovery is tightly linked with the dissemination of knowledge. Applicants must present a compelling plan that demonstrates synergy between their proposed research and educational activities. The award is structured to enable long-term career development rather than short-term project funding. The NSF strongly encourages women, individuals with disabilities, and members of underrepresented minority groups to apply, reflecting its commitment to inclusive excellence. The program includes a component called the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), which recognizes the most outstanding recent CAREER awardees. Selection for PECASE is based on innovative research performance and demonstrated community service, including educational leadership or outreach. Up to twenty-six nominees may be chosen annually by NSF for PECASE consideration, and the final selection is made by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. CAREER proposals must reflect the mission of the proposing organization and clearly articulate how the proposed activities will lead to a productive academic career. Proposals are reviewed according to NSF's merit review criteria: Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts. Key considerations include the project's potential to advance knowledge and benefit society, creativity of the proposed activities, the qualifications of the individual, and the plan for assessing success. Proposals must describe integrated research and education efforts and may include cross-disciplinary or global components. Optional enhancements such as entrepreneurship, policy, or partnerships with industry are welcome if they contribute meaningfully to the research and educational goals. Proposers must be employed in at least a 50% tenure-track or tenure-track-equivalent assistant professor role (or equivalent), be untenured, and have not received a prior CAREER award. Faculty members on adjunct contracts or in higher ranks (e.g., associate professor) are not eligible. Proposals may only be submitted by U.S.-based institutions of higher education or qualifying nonprofit, non-academic organizations. The PI may only submit one CAREER proposal per annual cycle and may participate in no more than three total CAREER competitions throughout their career. Proposals must be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov. The project description must not exceed 15 pages and must include detailed plans for research, educational activities, and their integration. A Departmental Letter is required to confirm eligibility and institutional support, and a single-copy statement is required for PECASE consideration if applicable. Letters of collaboration may be included but must conform to strict format standards. No co-PIs are allowed. The solicitation also outlines special rules for budget preparation, with award expectations set at a minimum of $400,000 over five years (or $500,000 for select directorates). Cost sharing is prohibited. The annual deadline for proposal submission is the fourth Wednesday in July at 5:00 p.m. local time of the submitting organization. The next expected deadline is July 22, 2026. The program is recurring, and potential applicants are advised to begin preparations well in advance. Award notifications and additional information about requirements can be accessed through NSF’s official website or by contacting the program via email or phone. NSF strongly recommends submitting proposals well ahead of the deadline to avoid last-minute technical issues. Reporting requirements apply for funded projects, including annual and final reports via Research.gov.

Submit well before deadline; strong integration of research and education is critical for success.