Eligibility

As of the proposal deadline, July 26, 2021, PIs need to meet these eligibility criteria:

• 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 (or tenure-track-equivalent) position as an assistant professor (or equivalent title);
• Be untenured; and
• 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.)

Funding Priorities

• CAREER: The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of 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 should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research. NSF encourages submission of CAREER proposals from early-career faculty at all CAREER-eligible organizations and especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities to apply.
• This program emphasizes the importance the Foundation places on the early development of academic careers dedicated to stimulating the discovery process in which the excitement of research is enhanced by inspired teaching, enthusiastic learning, and disseminating new knowledge. 

Additional Information

• A Principal Investigator (PI) may submit only one CAREER proposal per annual competition.
• A PI may not participate in more than three CAREER competitions.
  • Proposals that are not reviewed (i.e., are withdrawn before review or are returned without review) do not count toward the three-competition limit.
• $400,000 in total costs is the minimum budgeted amount for all awards except those proposed to the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO), the Directorate for Engineering (ENG) or the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) which are expected to total a minimum of $500,000.
  • PIs are strongly encouraged to consult their specific program officer to better understand the maximum budget allowed since many program minimums for the CAREER are also their maximum allowable budget amounts.