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NSF CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop

Learn about the NSF CAREER proposal writing process and gain insights from a reviewer. Discover strategies for crafting a successful proposal.

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NSF CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop

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  1. Presentation at the NSF CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop November 13, 2004 Z.J. Pei Dept of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Kansas State University Manhattan, KS 66506

  2. Presentation Outline • About me • About my CAREER proposal • What I would and wouldn’t do If I started over

  3. About me • Got BS from ZIT and MS from BIT, China • Received Ph.D. in 1995 from University of Illinois • Worked in industry for 4 years • Joined K-State in 2000

  4. Presentation Outline • About me • About my CAREER proposal • What I would and wouldn’t do If I started over

  5. History of My CAREER Proposal

  6. Comments from a Reviewer (1) I want to spend a moment to share what insight I have on the workings of NSF panels. As a member of an NSF panel you are typically asked to review about 10 proposals prior to convening at NSF with the other panelists. At NSF you and the other panelists pool the reviews of perhaps 20-25 proposals, from which perhaps 2-4 are selected for funding.

  7. Comments from a Reviewer (2) My experience has been that for a proposal to surface during such a process, it must have some extremely novel character. Regardless of the solid work presented in a proposal or the high likelihood of a successful outcome that responds to industry needs, what appears to jump out to a reviewer is the innovativeness of the proposal.

  8. Comments from a Reviewer (3) What this means is that if a PI appears to be following along a path that builds upon his PhD work, or that logically follows from industrial experience, then the burden is high to demonstrate novelty. In other words, the reviewers are often looking for totally new areas that the proposer is seeking to establish.

  9. Presentation Outline • About me • About my CAREER proposal • What I would and wouldn’t do If I started over

  10. One Month Summer Salary • Two months or one month ? • “The PI proposes to take two months of summer support out of the award. This should be reduced to one month.” -- Reviewer

  11. Grantees Conference – Learning the Rules • CAREER sessions • “The minimum award for the NSF CAREER is $400k, and it is also the maximum for DMII.” – Program Director

  12. Grantees Conference – Talking with Program Directors • Comments and advice • “What is the research?” • “NSF funds research, not development, application, or optimization.”

  13. Grantees Conference – Learning from Awardees • Importance of proposal title • CAREER: Innovative Laser-Based Stress/Strain Measurement Techniques to Solve Challenging Fundamental and Applied Research Problems • CAREER: Fundamental Research on Silicon Wafer Fine Grinding to Foster a Quantum Leap in Manufacturing of Silicon Wafers

  14. Which Title Impresses You? • CAREER: Analysis of Fine Grinding of Silicon Wafers • CAREER: Fundamental Research on Silicon Wafer Fine Grinding to Foster a Quantum Leap in Manufacturing of Silicon Wafers

  15. Study Successful CAREER Proposals • “Copies of awarded proposals are available upon request. Personal and proprietary information will be removed from the proposal documents before they are released.” • Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) • foia@nsf.gov, (703) 292-8060

  16. Share Proposal with Colleagues • Career Development Workshop (3/2003) sponsored by the Chemical and Transport Systems (CTS) Division of NSF • Professor Tim Anderson, Chemical Engineering Department, University of Florida • Shared proposal and received peer reviews

  17. Support Letters • Letters of commitment can be included in Section J • No letters of recommendation

  18. Quotation from Dr. Bradley Kramer • “Getting tenured should not be the goal. It is a by-product of the success in your academic career.” – Bradley Kramer • Getting the CAREER Award should not be the goal either. • CAREER program “recognizes and supports …those faculty members who are most likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century.”

  19. For Your Attention

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