NSF CAREER Faculty Development Series

Supporting Early-Career Faculty in Proposal Success

The Faculty Development and Success Office (OFDS) at NC State’s College of Engineering proudly offers an annual NSF CAREER Faculty Development Series to support assistant professors in developing competitive proposals for the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program.

About the NSF CAREER Program

The NSF CAREER Award is one of the most prestigious grants for early-career faculty in STEM. It supports those who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars and integrate research and education in impactful ways. The award provides stable, long-term funding and recognizes faculty who are leaders in their fields and committed to advancing their department, institution, and broader community through their work.

From NSF: “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.”

CAREER Proposal Support Resources

To help you strengthen your NSF CAREER proposal, we’ve gathered insights from recent awardees and proposal mentors. This resource includes:

• A full recording of the panel discussion
• Key takeaways organized by individual contributor
• A detailed Q&A summary, featuring narrative-style responses to frequently asked questions from the live transcript

We are offering a pre-recorded panel discussion (recorded June 2025) featuring COE and COS faculty reviewers to support faculty preparing NSF CAREER proposals. The recording includes insights into the review process, common proposal pitfalls, and strategies for strengthening submissions.

Insights from Awardees and Proposal Mentors

Maria Mayorga
Professor, Industrial & Systems Engineering

The CAREER award requires deep integration between education and research. Your educational activities should be motivated by your research, not simply added on. This could include student training, industry education, or practitioner development, but it must be well-justified. Unlike many current collaborative proposals, CAREER is a single-PI award. You’ll also need to show long-term alignment with your department and the university’s goals. The proposal should outline a compelling trajectory for your future research, rather than just a five-year plan. Reviewers want to see cohesion—ideas, budget, and methods that all reinforce each other. If your education and research plans don’t align, it won’t be competitive.

Scott Ferguson
Associate Professor, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

CAREER proposals differ from other NSF submissions in that they support a long-term vision. Rather than defining specific tasks with measurable outputs, successful proposals outline major research directions and goals that span 10 to 15 years. Educational components must match the audience. If you propose K–12 outreach, you need to ensure the content is age-appropriate. And just like with research, the education piece must include assessment. If you say you’re posting videos or creating modules, how will you measure success or adoption? Reviewers expect thoughtful evaluation plans, not vague intentions.

Doug Call
Associate Professor, Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering

The CAREER award demands a transformative idea. One that excites reviewers and pushes boundaries. “Incremental” is a red-flag word. Reviewers want to see proposals that feel big and ambitious. Also, talk to your program manager about whether your directorate expects hypothesis-driven research. On the panel I served on, proposals without hypotheses struggled. Strong proposals had well-justified, testable scientific hypotheses that aligned with the overall research vision. If the hypothesis is too vague or obvious, reviewers will notice.

Helen Huang
Professor, Biomedical Engineering

CAREER reviewers evaluate how committed you are to training students. Budgeting for postdocs instead of graduate students may raise red flags. It signals you may not be focused on student education, which is a central purpose of the award. Make sure your budget reflects your stated commitment to education and research training.

Adolfo Escobedo
Associate Professor, Industrial & Systems Engineering

NSF expects innovative educational plans that go beyond incorporating research into classroom lectures. I’ve seen examples like podcast series or community workshops. In my proposal, I included a summer research program for students from MSIs that was directly tied to my research. Integration is key—what you teach and who you engage should be tightly connected to your project. You’ll also want to think ahead about letters of support. Start early, especially if you’re coordinating activities with outside organizations or partners. That planning builds credibility and strengthens the proposal.

For research collaborators, I included letters from past collaborators and from software companies relevant to my work. These supported the feasibility of the project and demonstrated that I had the network to execute it, even if some areas were new to me.

Dali Sun
Assistant Professor, Physics

NSF is deeply focused on broader impacts and education. One tip: read public abstracts from past CAREER awards in your division. You’ll notice a lot of proposals mention similar ideas like seminars or science days. To stand out, you need to be genuinely innovative. If you’re short on ideas, participate in programs like the Science Olympiad. At NC State, you can work with Jason at the Science House, who offers support and letters. Volunteering as an event supervisor or designing an event gives you a ready-made assessment plan—and shows NSF you’re already engaged in outreach.

Leah Bugg
Director, The Engineering Place

A strong education plan isn’t just about course content or hiring undergrads. Think about dissemination and public communication. How will you help people especially outside your field, understand why your research matters? Consider connecting your broader impacts to national needs, policy, or defense priorities if relevant. Also, reach out early for help. I’ve worked with ARIS (Advancing Research Impact in Society) and can support you in designing effective outreach or public engagement activities.

Joel Ducoste
Associate Dean, Faculty Development and Success

CAREER proposals should feel like a moonshot, a bold idea that surprises and excites the panel. Reviewers ask, “Is this even possible?” and that curiosity is a good sign. Remember: it’s not just about completing a project, but about defining your academic trajectory. Strong proposals inspire confidence that NSF is investing in someone who will contribute meaningfully to research and education for decades to come.

Contact Us

For questions or to learn more about the CAREER Proposal Series, email us at engineeringfds@ncsu.edu.