NSF CAREER Workshop Series

This workshop consists of a unique panel of Illinois faculty who have received CAREER awards to share their experiences and best practices for the NSF CAREER proposal process and answer other questions from attendees. 

NSF CAREER proposals need a compelling synergy between the professor's research and educational career goals, including educational activities outside their university teaching. This workshop will consist of a panel of potential partners offering unique educational activities and services that Illinois faculty can participate in related to their specific research.

Current Education/Outreach Partnership Opportunities

CAREER awardees cite participating in a review panel as one of the most important and helpful activities in preparation for submitting a winning proposal. This workshop will consist of participants performing the exact duties of a panelist on an NSF Proposal Review Panel. This includes reviewing approximately three proposals that were previously submitted by Illinois faculty to NSF from a variety of disciplines. Every attempt is made to match panelists with proposals that are similar to his/her area of expertise.

This interactive workshop allows participants to provide and receive peer feedback on NSF CAREER proposal drafts—and learn how to evaluate and implement that feedback effectively to strengthen their CAREER proposals. Preparation for the workshop will include reviewing and providing feedback on peer proposals. All participants will receive feedback on their own proposal before the workshop. During the workshop, faculty will use the feedback they received to practice distinguishing actionable feedback that can strengthen their proposal from comments based on reviewer misunderstanding, disciplinary bias, or personal preference that may not warrant a revision. Through this structured review process, participants will gain practical strategies for sifting through feedback, identifying what matters most, and making targeted revisions to improve the clarity, competitiveness, and overall quality of their proposal before submission.