Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
Due Dates: July 23, 2025 (Full Proposal, 4th Wednesday in July, annually)
Funding Amounts: Typical award: minimum $400,000 (5 years); BIO/ENG/OPP proposals: minimum $500,000 (5 years); ~500 awards/year; total program ~$250M/year
Summary: Supports early-career faculty in the U.S. with potential to serve as academic role models, integrating research and education in NSF-supported fields.
Key Information: Only one proposal per PI per year; strict eligibility for pre-tenure faculty; required departmental letter.
Description
The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is the National Science Foundation's most prestigious award for early-career faculty. It aims to support those who demonstrate the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. The program encourages creative, integrative research and education plans that lay the foundation for a lifetime of leadership in STEM.
The CAREER Program is open to early-career faculty at CAREER-eligible organizations, with a strong emphasis on integrating research and education. The program especially encourages applications from women, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities. In addition, a select group of recent CAREER awardees may be nominated by NSF for the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest U.S. honor for early-career scientists and engineers.
Due Dates
- Full Proposal Deadline: July 23, 2025 (and the 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 Size: $400,000 (total for 5 years)
- Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO), Engineering (ENG), or Office of Polar Programs (OPP): $500,000 minimum (total for 5 years)
- Estimated Number of Awards: ~500 per year
- Estimated Total Program Funding: ~$250,000,000 annually
- Award Duration: 5 years
- No cost sharing required
- PECASE: Honorary recognition, no additional funds
Eligibility
Eligible Organizations
- 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 directly associated with educational or research activities (e.g., museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies).
Eligible Individuals (PIs)
- Must hold a doctoral degree in an NSF-supported field.
- Must be engaged in research in an area of science, engineering, or education supported by NSF.
- Must hold at least a 50% tenure-track (or tenure-track-equivalent) assistant professor (or equivalent) position as of the deadline.
- Must be untenured as of the deadline.
- Must not have previously received a CAREER award.
- May submit only one CAREER proposal per year and may participate in a maximum of three CAREER competitions.
- No co-PIs allowed.
Additional Notes
- International branch campuses of U.S. institutions may participate, but must justify why activities cannot be performed at the U.S. campus.
- Strict adherence to eligibility criteria is enforced; no exemptions granted.
Application Process
- Submission Platforms: Proposals may be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov.
- Required Documents:
- Project Description (max 15 pages) integrating research and education plans.
- Departmental letter (no more than 2 pages) verifying eligibility and departmental support.
- Biographical sketch (per NSF guidelines).
- Budget and justification.
- Letters of collaboration (if applicable, strictly formatted).
- Single-copy document for PECASE consideration (if eligible).
- No letters of recommendation or general support are permitted.
- No preliminary proposals or letters of intent required.
Refer to the current NSF CAREER solicitation (NSF 22-586) and the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) for full requirements.
Additional Information
- Merit Review: Proposals are evaluated on intellectual merit and broader impacts, including the integration of research and education.
- Departmental Letter: Proposals without a properly formatted departmental letter will be returned without review.
- Strict Deadlines: Late proposals are not accepted except for documented technical issues.
- Award Administration: Awards may be transferred if the PI moves to another CAREER-eligible institution with appropriate documentation.
External Links
Contact Information