The BIO CAREER deadline is July 17, 2019.
For those of you preparing to submit your CAREER proposal, there are two important things that should not be left until the last minute:
- Including a Departmental Letter of Support.
- Clearly demonstrating the integration of your research and education activities.
Departmental Letter of Support
This is a key requirement for any CAREER proposal that needs to be uploaded into supplemental documents.
From the solicitation (17-537),
“1. Departmental Letter (a proposal submitted without this Letter will be returned without review) – NSF encourages organizations to value and reward the integration of research and education and the effective mentoring of its early-career faculty in their department. This integration of research and education requires close collaboration between the CAREER Principal Investigator (PI) and his/her organization throughout the duration of the award. To demonstrate the department’s support of the career development plan of the PI, the proposal must include one (and only one) letter from the PI’s department head (or equivalent organizational official). In cases of joint appointments, the letter should be signed by both department heads. The letter, which will be included as part of the consideration of the overall merits of the proposal, should demonstrate an understanding of, and a commitment to, the effective integration of research and education as a primary objective of the CAREER award.”
Integration of Research and Education
Most successful CAREER proposals demonstrate a strong and clear integration of research and education. Your research and education activities should be linked and inform one another. As always, feel free to visit NSF’s award search to view the abstracts of successful CAREER proposals. Many will provide information about how the PI created synergy between research and teaching. Some PIs will even share their proposal or provide advice if asked…but not if unasked.
DEBrief 