The webpage describes a training program for faculty interested in the NSF CAREER program.
Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Bootcamp
The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI) invites faculty to join its training program for the prestigious National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER). The CAREER program provides awards to early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. Activities pursued by early-career faculty build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research.
The OVPRI CAREER Bootcamp’s goal is to help faculty plan, write, and submit a compelling and competitive application for the July 22, 2026 deadline.
Faculty interested in participating in this bootcamp should submit their expression of interest by December 12, 2025.
Eligibility
CAREER Bootcamp is open to tenure-track faculty who meet all the following eligibility requirements as of the annual deadline:
- Hold a doctoral degree in a field supported by NSF
- Be engaged in research in an area of science, engineering, or education supported by NSF
- Hold at least a 50% tenure-track position as an assistant professor
- Be untenured
- Have not previously received a CAREER award. (Prior or concurrent Federal support for other types of awards for non-duplicative research does not preclude eligibility.)
- Have not applied to the CAREER competition three times already
Format
The CAREER Bootcamp will have one, in-person workshop session (2-hours) each month, February through May (to be scheduled in collaboration with participants). Participants will have activities to complete between sessions, and from May through submission in July, participants will have continued support and guidance from Research Development Services.
Content
The training program provides a supportive learning community that trains participants on the key aspects of planning, writing, and submitting a competitive CAREER proposal, including: finding the correct program for the project; developing effective broader impact activities; integrating the education component with the planned research; writing a compelling departmental letter; understanding all the resources available to complete the submission; and more.
Learning Objectives
- Participants will be able to create a competitive NSF CAREER grant application that demonstrates a strong understanding of how to create compelling Broader Impacts activities and seamlessly integrate research and teaching activities.
- Participants will be able to build relationships within and outside the university that increases their abilities to compete successfully for grant support from NSF.