The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards for new faculty members. The CAREER program recognizes and supports the early career-development activities of those teacher-scholars who are most likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century. CAREER awardees will be selected on the basis of creative career-development plans that effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their organization. Such plans should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of integrated contributions to research and education. NSF encourages submission of CAREER proposals from new faculty members at all CAREER-eligible organizations and especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities to apply.
Each year NSF selects nominees for the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from among the most meritorious new CAREER awardees. The PECASE program recognizes outstanding scientists and engineers who, early in their careers, show exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of knowledge. This Presidential Award is the highest honor bestowed by the United States Government on scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers.

To sustain and strengthen the Nation's science, mathematics, and engineering capabilities and to promote the use of those capabilities in service to society, the National Science Foundation (NSF) works in partnership with individuals and their organizations to support the early career-development activities of those teacher-scholars who are most likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century. NSF established the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program in recognition of the critical roles played by faculty members in integrating research and education, and in fostering the natural connections between the processes of learning and discovery. The intent of the program is to provide stable support at a sufficient level and duration to enable awardees to develop careers as outstanding teacher-scholars in the context of the mission of their organization. NSF encourages submission of CAREER proposals from new faculty at all CAREER-eligible organizations and especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities to apply. This program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards for new faculty members.
Each year NSF selects nominees for the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from among the most meritorious new CAREER awardees. The PECASE program recognizes outstanding scientists and engineers who, early in their careers, show exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of knowledge. This Presidential Award is the highest honor bestowed by the United States Government on scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers.

A. CAREER Program

This premier program emphasizes the importance the Foundation places on the early development of academic careers dedicated to stimulating the discovery process in which the excitement of research is enhanced by inspired teaching and enthusiastic learning. Effective integration of research and education at all levels generates a synergy in which the process of discovery stimulates learning and assures that the findings and methods of research are quickly and effectively communicated in a broader context and to a larger audience.
Successful applicants will propose creative, integrative, and effective research and education plans. While excellence in both education and research is expected, activity of an intensity that leads to an unreasonable workload is not.
Proposals submitted to the National Science Foundation are evaluated through the use of two merit review criteria, which all proposals must address explicitly. One relates to intellectual merit and the other relates to broader impacts of the activities. The following URL contains examples illustrating activities that are likely to demonstrate the broader impacts: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/nsf022/bicexamples.pdf. CAREER applicants may find these examples useful as they formulate their career-development plans.
Proposed education activities may be in a broad range of areas and may be directed to any level: K-12 students, undergraduates, graduate students, and/or the general public. Examples include but are not limited to: designing innovative courses or curricula; supporting teacher preparation and enhancement; conducting outreach and mentoring activities to enhance scientific literacy or involve students from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in science; researching pedagogy or students' learning and conceptual development in the discipline; incorporating research activities into undergraduate courses; linking education activities to industrial, international, or cross-disciplinary work; and implementing innovative methods for evaluation and assessment.
Education activities may include designing new educational materials and practices or adapting and implementing effective educational materials and practices developed elsewhere. Such activities should be consistent with research and best practices in curriculum, pedagogy, and evaluation.
The education and research activities proposed may include collaborations with partners from other sectors (for example, partnerships with industry, national laboratories, or schools and school districts), as well as international collaborations. However, partners cannot participate as co-investigators. Proposals submitted with co-investigators will not be reviewed or considered for funding.
NSF encourages PIs to include international dimensions in their career-development plans where appropriate (e.g., visits to foreign research facilities, interactions with foreign research partners, and development of international educational activities).
NSF especially encourages the inclusion of women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities in research and educational activities.
Program information, including "Frequently Asked Questions" (NSF 02-113) and a Proposal Submission Checklist, can be accessed on the CAREER Web page at: http://www.nsf.gov/career.

B. PECASE Program

Each year NSF will select up to twenty nominees for this award from among the most meritorious PECASE-eligible CAREER awardees.