About NSF CAREER

Why Apply for CAREER?

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a National Science Foundation-wide activity that offers NSF'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.

CAREER provides up to $400,000 ($500,000 in some directorates) of funding for 5 years, and is a significant step towards receiving tenure. CAREER Awards provide recipients the opportunity to enhance their professional career development, better integrate their research and education responsibilities and build academic leadership abilities.

CAREER is considered a "Prestigious" award under the Office of Faculty Recognition's Extraordinary Accomplishments Program, making recipients eligible for a $5,000/year base salary increase. Additionally, CAREER provides stable funding in the early phase of your faculty career, and is a significant step towards receiving tenure.

Eligibility Information

Proposers must meet all of the following eligibility requirements at the time of submission:

• 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.)

Note: A Principal Investigator (PI) may submit only one CAREER proposal per annual competition. In addition, a Principal Investigator 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 Proposals that are not reviewed (i.e., are withdrawn before review or are returned without review) do not count toward the three-competition limit.

For full eligibility information, refer to NSF Program Solicitation.

NSF CAREER Presentations & Workshops