FIRST Awards
Forecasted
Nebraska EPSCoR's FIRST Awards support early-career faculty in launching research programs and building competitiveness for NSF CAREER grants.
Funder: Nebraska EPSCoR
Due Dates (Anticipated): June 2027: Pre-proposal deadline (projected) | September 2027: Full proposal deadline (projected)
Funding Amounts: Up to $40,000 per award (plus 25% institutional match); typically 4 awards/year; 1-year duration.
Summary: Supports early-career faculty at eligible Nebraska institutions to launch research and strengthen competitiveness for NSF CAREER grants.
Key Information: Not open to University of Nebraska-Lincoln or UNMC faculty; pre-proposal required.
Description
Nebraska EPSCoR's FIRST Awards program is designed to assist early-career, tenure-track assistant professors at eligible Nebraska institutions in initiating their independent research programs, with the goal of enhancing their competitiveness for NSF CAREER grants. The program provides seed funding and mentorship, focusing on faculty at institutions without Carnegie R1 status (excluding University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Nebraska Medical Center). The application process is two-stage: a short pre-proposal is first submitted and reviewed, and selected finalists are then invited to submit a full, NSF CAREER-like proposal. Awardees are required to subsequently submit an NSF CAREER proposal. Projects in any discipline potentially fundable by NSF are eligible.
