Virginia Commonwealth University
2013-2014 NSF CAREER Academy
Information Package
Online at: www.research.vcu.edu/vpr/resources/career.htm
What is the NSF CAREER Program?
The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a
Foundation-wide activity that offers the agency’s most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty
who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the
integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations. Such
activities should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and
research.
CAREER awards are made by all NSF Directorates: Biological Sciences; Computer and Information
Science and Engineering; Education and Human Resources; Engineering; Geosciences; Mathematical and
Physical Sciences; and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences.
The minimum CAREER award, including indirect costs, will total $400,000 for 5 years. Proposers to the
Directorate of Biological Sciences (BIO) or the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) must submit budget
requests for a minimum of $500,000 for the 5-year duration.
The next deadline for the CAREER Program is expected to be in July 2014.
Who is eligible to apply for the NSF CAREER Program?
NSF encourages submission of CAREER proposals from junior faculty members at all CAREER-eligible
organizations and especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and
persons with disabilities to apply. Faculty who meet all of the following criteria are eligible to apply.
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Hold a doctoral degree by the deadline date in a field supported by NSF by the Directorate's
deadline for submission of CAREER proposals;
Be untenured until October 1 following the deadline;
Have not previously received a CAREER award (prior or concurrent Federal support for other
types of awards or for non-duplicative research does not preclude eligibility);
Be employed in a tenure-track (or tenure-track-equivalent) position as an assistant professor (or
equivalent title) that awards degrees in a field supported by NSF By October 1st following the
deadline for submission of CAREER proposals.
A Principal Investigator is allowed only one submission per competition and may not participate in more
than three CAREER competitions.
What is the CAREER Academy?
In order to increase the success rate of VCU faculty applying to the NSF CAREER Program, the VCU Office
of Research has launched the 2013-2014 CAREER Academy. Its purpose is to provide proposal
development support to VCU faculty from across the university who are interested applying to the NSF
CAREER Program in 2014 or 2015.
The CAREER Academy will provide a portfolio of support and resources to faculty interested applying to
the NSF CAREER Program. These include:
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Step-by-step guidance on developing competitive CAREER proposals provided by NSF-funded
investigators and NSF reviewers, research development experts, and research administrators.
This includes assistance in constructing all aspects of the proposal, such as the narrative,
educational plan, broader impacts statement, and budget.
Oral and written feedback on proposal drafts.
Assistance in contacting program officers and arranging in-person visits with program staff.
Group input and support from cohort peers.
One-on-one mentoring with senior faculty.
Mock review panel.
The CAREER Academy is funded by the VCU Office of the Vice President for Research, and supported by
the College for Humanities and Sciences and School of Education.
Components
The CAREER Academy combines several modules:
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Cohort meetings and workshops: CAREER Academy participants will establish milestones for
their proposals, and meet with each other to discuss and provide peer review of their progress
during cohort meetings. Additional, content-relevant workshops will focus on aspects of CAREER
proposal development that will also build skills for other types of NSF grants. Each meeting and
workshop session is approximately 3 hours long.
NSF visit: Participants will arrange meetings with their cognizant Program Officers, and as a
group will visit NSF for a day of meetings.
Review panel: Selected participants will have their proposals scored by a panel of internal and
external reviewers. The panelists will discuss their reviews with the entire cohort.
Mentoring: CAREER Academy participants will be matched with a scientific mentor, who will
provide additional guidance and review. Mentors will receive a modest compensation.
A Blackboard Organization will be established to house materials and resources, and to facilitate
communication between participants.
Schedule (tentative)
For the pilot year, the CAREER Academy will take place from September 2013 (kick off meeting) through
July 2014 (submission deadline and evaluation). Planned sessions will take place once a month, although
participants may elect to meet with each other, meet with Academy instructors and facilitators, or
attend other related workshops at other times to supplement their learning.
Date
Activity
July 17, 2013
CAREER Academy announced, nomination forms available
August 2, 2013
CAREER Academy application forms due
August 15, 2013
CAREER Academy Participants and Mentors selected and notified by email
September 18, 2013
4:30-6:30pm
CAREER Academy Kick-Off reception and meeting (Location TBD)
October 17, 2013
Honors College,
Multipurpose Room
9am-1:30pm
Cohort workshop: Writing the CAREER proposal
 Presenter: Bob Porter, Director of Research Development, University
of Tennessee (current)
November 1, 2013
Life Sciences, 116
1-4pm
Cohort meeting
 Developing the program summary
 Contacting program officers
November-December,
2013
Schedule NSF Visit
January 17, 2014
Life Sciences, 116
1-4pm
Cohort workshop
 Budgeting the CAREER project
 Midterm program evaluation
February 14, 2014
Life Sciences, 116
1-4pm
Cohort meeting
 Integrating the educational component
 Broader impacts
March 2014
NSF Visit
April 11, 2014
Life Sciences, 116
1-4pm
Cohort meeting
 Soliciting department letters
 Preparing for the mock panel review
June 6, 2014
Place and time TBD
Cohort meeting: Mock panel review
June-July 2014
Submission
Final program evaluation
What is expected of faculty participants and mentors?
In order to participate in the inaugural CAREER Academy, faculty must:
1. Meet the eligibility requirements of the CAREER Program.
2. Plan to submit a CAREER proposal in Summer 2014 or Summer 2015. Priority will be given to
those planning to submit a proposal in 2014.
3. Commit to participate in all CAREER Academy working sessions (as schedule permits).
4. Submit a CAREER Academy application. Both the applicant and the mentor must be accepted to
the 2013-2014 cohort.
CAREER Faculty participation in planned CAREER Academy sessions as well as out-of-class proposal
preparation is estimated at 10 hours per month. Therefore, all applicants will have to secure a
departmental endorsement. This endorsement assures that the investigator will receive necessary
release time to participate.
CAREER-eligible faculty from all Schools and the College will be considered. The CAREER Academy is
limited to 10 participants in the 2013-2014 cohort.
Upon being accepted into the CAREER Academy, faculty will also be expected to:
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Participate in all CAREER Academy working sessions (as schedule permits).
Complete all assignments and meet milestones.
Actively engage with cohort peers, including providing oral and written feedback.
Actively engage with mentor.
Provide feedback for the program evaluation.
In order to participate in the inaugural CAREER Academy, mentors must:
1. Have scientific expertise in the mentee’s research area being proposed.
2. Be familiar with National Science Foundation research interests, funding priorities, review
criteria. Mentors will, preferably, have a history of NSF funding and/or served as reviewers on
NSF panels.
3. Agree to provide one-on-one guidance to the mentee during the 2013-2014 academic year in
the development of a CAREER proposal in to submit in Summer 2014 or Summer 2015.
4. Complete and sign the “Attestations and Endorsements” form of the mentee’s CAREER Academy
application form. Both the applicant and the mentor must be accepted to the 2013-2014 cohort.
Mentor participation is estimated at 5 hours per month. Therefore, all mentors will have to secure a
departmental endorsement on the application. This endorsement assures that the investigator will
receive necessary release time to participate. Mentors will also receive $300.00 in a departmental
account for their participation.
Upon being accepted into the CAREER Academy, mentors will also be expected to:
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Attend the Kick-off reception.
Communicate regularly with the mentee.
Review the mentee’s proposal drafts. Provide oral and written feedback.
Help the mentee identify collaborators, resources, and skills that the mentee needs to be
competitive.
Consult with CAREER Academy mentors in organizing the Mock Panel Review.
Provide feedback for the program evaluation.
How do I apply to the 2013-2014 CAREER Academy?
Applications to the 2013-2014 Career Academy consist of three (3) parts.
1. CAREER Academy On-line Application Form. This form is to be completed by the proposed
CAREER Academy faculty participant. It requests:
• Faculty contact information and past experience with the CAREER Program.
• Proposed CAREER Research and Education Plan (keywords and short personal
statement). You may want to compose your personal statement in a word processing
application, and cut and paste the narrative into the space provided.
• Mentor contact Information.
2. NSF-style biographical sketch. The application must include the proposed faculty participant’s
NSF-style biographical sketch. For guidance on the biographical sketch, see
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf13001/gpg_2.jsp#IIC2f. The biographical
sketch should be saved as a PDF and named “lastname_careerbiosketch2013.pdf”. The
document must be uploaded to the on-line application form, as prompted on the last page
(page 3).
3. CAREER Academy Attestations and Endorsements Form. A form outlining the terms and
conditions of participation in the CAREER Academy must be signed by both the proposed faculty
participant and the mentor. It must also be endorsed by the department, by way of the
department chair/designee’s signature. Once all signatures are secured, the document must be
saved as a PDF and named “lastname_careerattest2013.pdf”. The document must be uploaded
to the on-line application form, as prompted on the last page (page 3). The CAREER Academy
Attestations and Endorsements Form is attached to this package.
When are applications due?
Applications are due by 5:00pm on August 2, 2013. All applications must be submitted online with the
biographical sketch and signed Attestations and Endorsements Form attached.
Applicants and mentors will be notified of selection decisions via email by August 15, 2013.
How can I access the application forms?
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2013-2014 CAREER Academy On-line Application Form
Guidance on preparing an NSF biographical sketch
2013-2014 CAREER Academy Attestations and Endorsements Form: A fillable form is attached to
this document. It should be completed, signed, and saved as a PDF. Then, upload it to the
CAREER Academy On-line Application Form.
All forms are also posted at www.research.vcu.edu/vpr/resources/career.htm.
Who should I contact for assistance?
Please direct all questions about the 2013-2014 CAREER Academy to:
Ann Nichols-Casebolt, PhD
Associate Vice President for Research
Development, Office of Research
acasebol@vcu.edu
Jessica Venable
Grant and Research Analyst, Office of Research
jcvenable@vcu.edu
Other Resources
About CAREER:
NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program
CAREER Program FAQs
About Mentoring:
Faculty Mentoring Guide, VCU School of Medicine
Entering Mentoring, The Wisconsin Program for Scientific Teaching
Virginia Commonwealth University
2013-2014 CAREER Academy Attestations and Endorsements
Participant Information
First Name
Last Name
Title
School
Department
Email
Work Phone
Participant Attestation
By signing below, I agree, if selected, to participate in the 2013-2014 CAREER Academy activities as fully as my schedule allows. This
includes cohort meetings (approximately one per month), large workshops, review of peer proposals, an NSF visit, a mock panel
review, and work with my mentor. I agree to develop an NSF CAREER proposal by the
July, 2014 /
July, 2015 (select one)
deadline as advised by CAREER Academy instructors and my mentor. I agree to provide feedback for evaluating this program.
Participant Signature
Date
Participant’s Departmental Endorsement
By signing below, my department agrees to support the above named researcher’s participation in the 2013-2014 CAREER
Academy with release time (as appropriate) and provide evaluative feedback to the program.
Chair/Designee Signature
Date
Chair Name (print)
Email
Mentor Information
First Name
Work Phone
Last Name
Title
School
Department
Email
Work Phone
Mentor Attestation
By signing below, I agree, if selected, to participate in the 2013-2014 CAREER Academy activities as fully as my schedule allows. This
includes the Kick-off meeting, reviewing my mentee’s proposal drafts, helping prepare my mentee for the NSF visit and panel
review, and providing individualized guidance to my mentee (e.g. connecting him/her to professional networks and resources, etc.)
in preparation for a planned NSF CAREER proposal submission by the
July, 2014 /
July, 2015 (select one) deadline. I agree to
provide feedback for evaluating this program. I understand that I will receive $300.00 in a departmental account for my active
participation.
Mentor Signature
Date
Mentor’s Departmental Endorsement
By signing below, my department agrees to support the above named mentor’s participation in the 2013-2014 CAREER Academy
with release time (as appropriate) and provide evaluative feedback to the program.
Chair/Designee Signature
Date
Chair Name (print)
Email
Work Phone
Complete and sign this form, and save as a PDF. Upload it and your NSF-style biographical sketch to your on-line 2013-2014 CAREER
Academy Application Form. All documents must be received by 5:00pm on Friday, August 2, 2013.
Questions? Contact Jessica Venable at jcvenable@vcu.edu or 827-1443.
VCU Office of the Vice President for Research
www.research.vcu.edu