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STRATEGIES FOR YOUR EARLY CAREER SUCCESS

 

The definition of success and the right strategies to take to get there are different for every individual. The articles included here are meant to provide resources and examples to help early career investigators from an array of disciplines at a variety of stages in their pre-tenure. Most of them are related to research development and more specifically to developing proposals for early career awards. Search for keywords to narrow your search to the articles most applicable to your needs.

New Faculty Guide to Competing for Research Funding
What all new faculty need to know about finding funding and writing research proposals

This manuscript cover the central questions most often raised by new faculty starting a university research career. While federal agencies, foundations, and other funders of research differ significantly in their research mission and objectives, in agency culture and protocols, and in guidelines for submitting unsolicited proposals, the core knowledge base and writing expertise you need to acquire comprise a suite of broadly applicable strategies that lead to success in grant writing, regardless of academic discipline or research agency.

*Note - UNM ID and password are required to access this downloadable pdf.*

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Deconstructing the NSF CAREER Proposal

I recently submitted a NSF CAREER proposal — my first attempt [1]. In the process of putting my materials together, I was fortunate to be able to learn from successful proposals written by friends and colleagues [2]. I was also fortunate to get feedback from mentors [3]. Trends emerged, and I thought I’d distill and share here on the off-chance that someone might find it helpful [4].

I submitted to the Security and Trustworthy Cyberspace program, and requested examples from others who I knew submitted to that program. I expect much of what I learned applies to other programs within the CISE directorate’s purview, but your mileage may vary. Also, as of right now, I haven’t been awarded the CAREER grant. While I did fashion my own submission based on these insights, I have no my idea if my specific proposal was any good. When I hear back, I’ll update this post to reflect the results and reviewer comments.

Anyway, this is what a successful SaTC proposal seems to look like...

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Getting Started on the Tenure Track: Challenges and Strategies for Success

Tenure-track positions at institutions of higher education are often highly coveted because they offer job stability, academic freedom, and higher pay. Despite this allure, the academic career path is fraught with challenges, particularly during the first few years of a tenure-track position where one must balance new demands and escalating expectations. Challenges identified included concerns about transitioning identities, divergent responsibilities, insecurities, and uncertain expectations regarding tenure and promotion. Many of these issues were more pronounced for faculty of color. However, participants also highlighted some key strategies that could be employed to address challenges: (a) Know expectations and document progress, (b) Collaborate regularly, (c) Seek professional mentors, (d) Develop an academic identity, (e) Be proactive and strategic in all areas of scholarship, and (f) Be realistic. Emerging scholars who heed this advice will be better equipped to navigate the early stages of academic life and successfully achieve tenure.

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7 Strategies for Tenure-Track Success​

Securing a tenure track position in this academic market is difficult. Of course, once you have such a position, the trials are not over, as you now have to work to achieve tenure. And the very thought of working toward tenure can be overwhelming.

However, I encourage tenure track faculty members not only to think about achieving tenure but to be strategic and focused to ensure you are on the right path. Even if tenure is a few years off, new tenure track faculty can take a few important steps now (other than, of course, work on publishing their dissertations, improving their courses and developing new research projects). Here are a few examples.

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Tenure Stress: How to Cope and Succeed

Navigating the tenure process can be particularly challenging for women because the process often coincides with childbearing years. Some women choose to opt out of the tenure race early on, as they don't want to have to make the choice between a baby or tenure. Others, like Clancy, approach it with caution, realizing that the decision to have a child and career can often have perilous implications on future job prospects. As one report noted in 2013, among tenured faculty, only 44 percent of women are married with children compared to 70 percent of men.

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