Funder: National Science Foundation
Due Dates: July 23, 2025 (Full Proposal Deadline; fourth Wednesday in July, annually thereafter)
Funding Amounts: Minimum $400,000 total over 5 years ($500,000 for BIO, ENG, or OPP directorates); ~500 awards/year
Summary: Prestigious NSF awards supporting early-career faculty who integrate research and education, with potential for PECASE nomination.
Key Information: Applicants must meet all eligibility criteria as of the annual deadline; only one proposal per PI per year; no co-PIs allowed.
Description
The National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is the agency's most prestigious award for early-career faculty. The program supports those who demonstrate the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in their fields. CAREER awards are intended to help build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating research and education.
Each year, the NSF also nominates up to 26 recent CAREER awardees for the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest U.S. government honor for early-career researchers. PECASE selection is based on innovative research, community service, and commitment to STEM equity and inclusion.
Due Dates
- Full Proposal Deadline: July 23, 2025 (fourth Wednesday in July, annually thereafter)
- Proposals must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. local time of the submitting organization.
Funding Amount
- Minimum Award: $400,000 total (including indirect costs) over 5 years
- Exceptions: Proposals to the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO), Engineering (ENG), or Office of Polar Programs (OPP) require a minimum of $500,000 over 5 years.
- Estimated Number of Awards: ~500 per year
- Total Program Funding: Approximately $250 million annually (subject to availability)
- PECASE: Honorary; no additional funds beyond the CAREER award
Eligibility
- Eligible Institutions:
- U.S. accredited two- and four-year institutions of higher education (including community colleges), acting on behalf of their faculty
- U.S.-based non-profit, non-academic organizations (e.g., museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies) associated with educational or research activities
- Principal Investigator (PI) Requirements:
- Hold a doctoral degree in a field supported by NSF
- Be engaged in research in an NSF-supported area
- Hold at least a 50% tenure-track (or tenure-track-equivalent) assistant professor (or equivalent) position
- Be untenured at the time of the deadline
- Have not previously received a CAREER award
- May submit only one CAREER proposal per annual competition and may participate in no more than three CAREER competitions
- No co-PIs permitted
- PECASE Nomination: Only recent CAREER awardees who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents are eligible for NSF nomination
Application Process
- Submission Platforms: Research.gov or Grants.gov
- Required Documents:
- Full proposal (max 15 pages for Project Description)
- Departmental Letter (required; proposal will be returned without review if missing)
- Biographical sketch (including research and education activities)
- Budget and budget justification (max 5 pages)
- Letters of collaboration (if applicable; must follow prescribed format)
- Single-copy document for PECASE eligibility (if applicable)
- No Letters of Intent or Preliminary Proposals required
- Cost Sharing: Not allowed
- Proposal Compliance: Strict adherence to solicitation and NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) is required; non-compliance will result in return without review
Additional Information
- Integration of Research and Education: Proposals must present a creative, integrated plan for research and education, tailored to the PI’s discipline and institutional context.
- Broader Impacts: Proposals are evaluated on both intellectual merit and broader impacts, including contributions to STEM diversity, education, and outreach.
- Directorate/Division Contacts: PIs are encouraged to consult with the relevant NSF program officer for their discipline (CAREER contacts by division).
- PECASE: Individuals cannot apply directly; selection is by NSF from among recent CAREER awardees.
External Links
Contact Information