Research grant

Apply for NSF CAREER Award

This helper is tailored to National Science Foundation, the program requirements on file, and the documents listed for this grant.

Max award

$500,000

Deadline

October 22, 2026

Agency

National Science Foundation

Source

federal funding

What this application should emphasize

Use these points to make your draft match this grant instead of sounding like a generic application.

Frame the research question, method, deliverables, and why the work is novel or useful.
Name partners, facilities, prior work, publications, or technical readiness when relevant.
Must be an untenured, tenure-track faculty member in an NSF-supported field at a US institution
Must be within the first 5 years of a tenure-track (or equivalent) position at time of submission

Check off each item as you gather it — have these ready before you open the application.

0 of 8 items ready

Download, complete, and save each item before submitting.

0 of 9 ready

NSF CAREER proposal submitted via Research.gov

Project Description (15 pages) integrating research and educational activities

Project Summary (1 page)

References Cited

Biographical Sketch (3 pages, NSF format)

Current and Pending Support

Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources

Data Management Plan

Departmental letter confirming tenure-track status and expected tenure decision timeline

Answer these once — your responses will be used to generate the draft in the next step.