Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is NSF's flagship award for junior faculty who are building their academic careers around the combined role of researcher and educator. The program is designed to support early-career faculty who not only propose strong, original research, but also present a thoughtful plan for education and broader learning that is tightly integrated with the research. In other words, CAREER is not simply a research grant with a small teaching add-on; it is meant to fund a coherent career-development trajectory where research and education reinforce each other and align with the mission and strengths of the submitting institution. NSF frames CAREER as an investment intended to create a foundation for long-term leadership, with the expectation that awardees will become influential figures in their fields and effective builders of research and education communities over time.

A central emphasis of the opportunity is the "teacher-scholar" model. Competitive proposals typically demonstrate excellence in research potential, clear intellectual merit, and a credible plan to translate research activities into educational outcomes. This can include new course modules, undergraduate research experiences, graduate training approaches, mentoring structures, curriculum development, community outreach, or partnerships that broaden participation in STEM, as long as those activities are meaningfully connected to the research agenda. NSF also explicitly encourages submissions from women, individuals from underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities, reflecting the agency's interest in strengthening both scientific innovation and equity in who gets to lead it.

This funding opportunity is listed as a discretionary grant program in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category. It spans essentially the full range of NSF-supported disciplines, as reflected by the CFDA numbers covering Engineering (47.041), Mathematical and Physical Sciences (47.049), Geosciences (47.050), Computer and Information Science and Engineering (47.070), Biological Sciences (47.074), Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (47.075), Education and Human Resources (47.076), the Office of International Science and Engineering (47.079), and EPSCoR-related activity (47.081). The scale of the program is large: the archived opportunity information lists an estimated total funding level of about $220,000,000 and an expected number of awards around 600. The listed award floor is $400,000, and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement indicated for this opportunity.

Eligibility is structured around institutional submission and early-career investigator status. Proposals may be submitted by U.S.-based accredited universities and colleges (including two-year and four-year institutions and community colleges) acting on behalf of their faculty members, as well as certain non-profit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies that are associated with educational or research activities in the United States. While organizations submit proposals, the award is fundamentally aimed at individual early-career faculty members, and there are restrictions on how often an individual can apply. A Principal Investigator (PI) may submit only one CAREER proposal per annual competition, and a PI may not participate in more than three CAREER competitions total. Submissions that are withdrawn before review or returned without review do not count toward that three-competition limit, which matters for applicants who may need to adjust timing or correct compliance issues.

The opportunity information also explains the relationship between CAREER awards and the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). PECASE is a White House-level recognition program, and at NSF it is fed by the top tier of recent CAREER awardees. Individuals do not apply directly for PECASE; instead, NSF selects nominees from among PECASE-eligible CAREER awardees, typically up to twenty nominees per year. PECASE selection is based on two broad criteria: first, innovative research at the leading edge of science and technology that aligns with the mission of the sponsoring agency, and second, community service demonstrated through scientific leadership, education, or community outreach. The stated goals of PECASE include stimulating innovative scientific and technological progress, raising awareness of STEM careers, recognizing federal scientific missions, connecting fundamental research to national priorities, and emphasizing the importance of science and technology to the country's future. NSF identifies and forwards nominees, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy makes the final selections and publicly announces the awardees.

The specific record provided is an archived NSF publication (NSF Publication 14-532) with a grants.gov Funding Opportunity Number listed as 14-532. The posting date in the record is January 13, 2014, with full proposal deadlines that varied by NSF directorate: July 21, 2014 for BIO, CISE, and EHR; July 22, 2014 for ENG; and July 23, 2014 for GEO, MPS, and SBE. The record indicates the opportunity is waiting for a new publication and was archived on October 29, 2014, which typically means applicants should look for the most recent CAREER solicitation and current deadlines on NSF's site before preparing a submission. For access issues with the full announcement through grants.gov, the listed support contact is grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.

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