An NSF CAREER Checklist

We moved my son to a new school for second grade. It was stressful. I was anxious about whether we’d made the right choice. I worried about him making new friends. I agonized over losing the network we’d built at his old school.

But one day, I was invited to join a parents’ WhatsApp group for his new school. All of a sudden, I knew we could find our footing. I was connected to resources, and I had a way to make sense of the year ahead.

Today’s newsletter is about creating this kind of touchstone for you.

I’m sharing an NSF CAREER grant checklist. CAREER grants are for early career faculty, typically those in the sciences and education.

And, here’s extra advice on writing an NSF CAREER grant:

• Look for and read the most up-to-date application instructions. They change over time, and you must be compliant. If you fail to follow the instructions, your grant can be disqualified from consideration.
• Meet with your research administrator. This is true for any grant you write. They are experts on funders and your institution. Ask them for help navigating both. If you’re not sure who this person is, ask your chair or your mentors. (For more guidance, see pp. 83 - 86 of The Grant Writing Guide).
• Divide and conquer. As Dr. Ananda Amstadter says (p. 88), figure out which tasks are hard and take a lot of cognitive energy versus which tasks are easy to complete when you’re tired. That way you can manage your workflow and make progress. For instance, I can only write project descriptions in the morning when I’m feeling “fresh.” I’m too tired to write them in the afternoon. Instead of wasting time trying to work on them in the afternoon, I turn my attention to tasks I find easy - like budget justifications. Similarly, I don’t waste my best “writing energy” on budget justifications in the morning. I need to complete hard tasks in the morning.

That’s all, colleagues! Remember to talk to a program officer, and here’s insight on how long the NSF process can take. If you know anyone who’s applying for an NSF CAREER award, would you mind forwarding this newsletter to them?

Thanks for reading and believing that scholars deserve support for incredible ideas.

Betty

Stay in touch: The Newsletter, Bluesky, TikTok, and The Grant Writing Guide book.

P.S. What’s your favorite slides clicker? This one is mine. I think it’s easy to hold. But lately I’ve been seeing people use apps for clickers, so I’m wondering if I’m missing out on something!