NSF CAREER PROPOSAL ACADEMY
Welcome
The University of Delaware’s NSF CAREER Proposal Academy is designed to help early-career faculty and researchers develop competitive proposals for the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program. CAREER awards are among NSF’s most prestigious honors for early-career investigators, and a successful proposal requires a compelling research vision, a meaningfully integrated education plan, and a clear, polished narrative. The Academy gives participants the structure, expertise, and sustained support to bring all of those elements together.
Running from December through July, the Academy pairs each participant with a science mentor for individualized guidance, alongside regular topical group meetings that focus on the key components of a strong CAREER proposal. Participants also receive dedicated grant editing, graphics assistance, and an internal mock review of their draft. The academy is open to all UD faculty interested in submitting a CAREER proposal in 2027.
2027 Committee Chairs
Jessica Warren, Professor, Earth Sciences
Fabrizio Sergi, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
2027 Tentative Timeline
Past academy resources
APPLICATION PROCESS
The program will require a certain amount of time commitment throughout the academic year to participate in the various activities of the program. In addition to a time commitment, participants need to commit to the deadlines established by the NSF CAREER Academy for producing the parts of a grant proposal.
The 2026 NSF CAREER Academy application deadline is November 20, 2025
The application window for the 2026 NSF CAREER cohort has passed. Please check back in fall 2026 for the next application window.