National Science Foundation CAREER support program

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) is the NSF’s most prestigious award to support early-career faculty development. The program typically expects to fund 450 proposals of the approximately 3,000 proposals it receives. To succeed, proposals will need to be highly competitive, ranking in the top 10-15 percent.

Research & Proposal Development Services provides year-long comprehensive guidance through the NSF CAREER support program. In this program, we work one-on-one with interested PIs to provide a proposal timeline, writing exercises, multiple rounds of edits, and external subject-matter review. We share strategies and tips for scoping and writing competitive proposals from CAREER award winners and reviewers. The program provides connections, templates and advise to polish the specific sections of a competitive CAREER proposal.

Contact us to learn more.

CAREER awardees at the University of Nevada, Reno

Assistant Professor Mark Lescroart.
NSF CAREER Award recipient Mark Lescroart studies mechanisms of attention

$700,000 research project funded to explore neurological disorders and everyday tasks; ‘Perception depends on the goal’

Headshot of Professor Jihwan Yoon in front of trees and grass.
NSF CAREER Award recipient Jihwan Yoon is developing device prototype to help patients with mental health conditions

Yoon is creating more accessible neurological treatment options

Assistant Professor Andrew Nuss in his lab with a microscope.
NSF CAREER Award recipient Andrew Nuss develops new approaches to protect the food supply

$1.17M-supported project builds upon Nuss’s previous work on insulin signaling in Lygus hesperus, the western tarnished plant bug

Head shot of Lei Cao.
Mechanical Engineering assistant professor wins CAREER award

Lei Cao’s research could help industry manufacture stronger, more flexible titanium alloys

Ying Yang wearing a patterned blazer smiles in her headshot.
NSF CAREER Award will sponsor lifelike materials development

Ying Yang plans to design polymers that mimic living cells

Collage of the individual photos of the University's seven CAREER Awardees for 2022.
7 faculty members receive CAREER Awards in support of early-career success

With the latest round of this prestigious NSF award, the University’s community of faculty-recipients grows

Aditya Nair portrayed from the chest-up, standing outside in front of a building.
Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor wins DOE Early Career Award

Aditya Nair’s network project receives an Early Career Research Program grant.

Associate Professor Jenny Ouyang, a faculty member in the Department of Biology since 2016.
Artificial light pollution raises concern for human and wildlife wellbeing

Biology associate professor receives NSF CAREER Award to investigate health and behavioral effects of light pollution on wild birds

Biology associate professor receives NSF CAREER Award to investigate health and behavioral effects of light pollution on wild birds

Steven receiving his Regents' award.
Assistant professor named Early Career Innovator for contributions to life-saving nutrition for infants

CABNR researcher plays critical role in development of liquid probiotic product for preterm infants

Man sitting in chair in front of computer screen
Computer science researcher plans to use machine learning to improve cancer treatments

Assistant Professor Tin Nguyen is set to begin NSF-funded research this summer that could advance our understanding of cancer.

Tim Nguyen received a $490,039 National Science Foundation CAREER award

Steve Hayes at his desk
Professor Steven Hayes receives 2022 NSHE Career Distinguished Researcher Award

Internationally renowned for development of ACT, evidenced based form of psychotherapy

Nine women in white lab coats smile for a photo on the green University quad.
NSHE Regents' Mid-Career Researcher Award goes to dedicated biologist

Jamie Voyles will be celebrated with her colleagues at the University's Honor the Best event

Elizabeth Pringle smiles, wearing a blue shirt.
NSF CAREER Award recipient studies how plants respond to drought

Elizabeth Pringle will study how plant chemistry changes in response to drought in the Great Basin.

Studio head shot of Assistant Professor Kelly Cross
Gaming app will help faculty navigate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)

Engineering professor Kelly Cross receives CAREER grant to survey engineering faculty about their beliefs and values about DEI and to develop gaming tool to coach faculty in responding to DEI situations.

Head shot of Assistant Professor Hao Xu
Breaking the ‘curse of dimensionality’ will take math, not magic

Engineering professor Hao Xu gets CAREER grant to enhance large-scale computerized systems.

Chemical & Materials Engineering Assistant Professor Yufeng Zheng stands in front of an electron microscope.
Titanium alloys research explores new concept in materials science and engineering

Engineering Professor Yufeng Zheng receives National Science Foundation CAREER award to research novel alloys design.

Engin Arslan
NSF CAREER Award paves the way for breakthroughs in science by eliminating data transfer bottlenecks

Engin Arslan’s research will bolster next-generation, data intensive applications by designing a new scalable and reliable data transfer framework.

Rick Kraus smiles, wearing a blue shirt in the foreground with green foliage in the background.
Paving the Wolf Pack Way: Rick Kraus '07

Paving the Wolf Pack Way is a series of stories showcasing Wolf Pack Way alumni from the College of Science.

Adrian Harpold working with technology in a forest.
University of Nevada, Reno researcher honored by premier earth science society

Snowmelt and mountain ecosystems research vital to resource management in times of changing climate

Christopher Barile stands in his lab while a postdoctoral fellow works at the lab bench behind him.
Recyling CO2 and the chemistry of climate change

Christopher Barile's research aims to create a new renewable energy source by recycling carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into useful fuels.

David Cantu
NSF CAREER Award recipient David Cantu investigates the processes for extracting rare earth elements

Because of the important role rare earth elements play in modern applications, the research is critical for the continued advancement of cutting-edge technology.

Collage of the individual photos of the University's 7 CAREER awardees in 2021
Most ever CAREER Awards received by University faculty

8 awardees representing 4 colleges/school receive NSF’s prestigious award in support of early-career success and continued development

Yan Wang
NSF CAREER Award recipient Yan Wang investigates phonon waves to develop effective thermal engineering strategies

Research will advance heat-transfer solutions for microchip and laser technologies through improved nanoscale engineering

Timur Tscherbul
NSF CAREER Award recipient Timur Tscherbul develops a new class of algorithms to help solve a ‘quantum physicist’s nightmare’

Through research and teaching assistant professor of physics explores Earth’s life-sustaining processes using quantum computation to describe chemical reactions

Feng Yan
NSF CAREER award supports research designed to reduce carbon footprint of machine learning

Computer Science and Engineering Assistant Professor Feng Yan recently received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award that aims to improve the efficiency of machine learning.

So Young Ryu
NSF CAREER Award recipient So Young Ryu develops bioinformatic tools that can solve important questions in biology

Analysis has significant impact on various biological areas such as plant science, microbiology and biomedicine

Portrait of Christopher Barile.
Christopher Barile employs electrochemistry, inorganic chemistry, and materials chemistry in the fight against climate change

Barile receives the University of Nevada, Reno Foundation Early Career Innovator Award

Elizabeth Koebele stands next to river
Political scientist among the ranks of National Science Foundation CAREER award winners

Elizabeth Koebele to research collaborative water sustainability policymaking as part of NSF award

Portrait of Thomas White
NSF CAREER Award recipient Thomas White explores the most extreme states of matter in the Universe

Assistant professor of physics receives funding to include undergraduate students in cutting edge physics research

Chris Barile in his lab
NSF CAREER award recipient Christopher Barile explores chemical reactions central to renewable energy and environmental technologies

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Christopher Barile's research aims to create processes for recycling carbon dioxide and nitrogen

Feifei Fan
NSF CAREER award leads to better batteries, a more diverse scientific community

Last year, Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Feifei Fan earned a National Science Foundation CAREER award for her research on lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. She shares the scientific, commercial and societal implications of the project.

University of Nevada, Reno chemical biologist Yftah Tal-Gan
Department of Chemistry’s Yftah Tal-Gan receives the 2020 Foundation Early Career Innovator Award

In his first five years, the chemical biologist has led important research on bacterial communication and raised the bar for grant funding

Matteo Aureli, Mohammed Ben-Idris and Jamie Voyles-Ensor are panel presentation speakers.
What does it take to receive a National Science Foundation CAREER award?

The latest prestigious early-career awards will advance research in wildfire-smoke forecasting, battery performance and understanding brain function

Rick Kraus poses for a photo with his young daughter and wife on the stage at the PECASE awards ceremony
Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) awarded to alumnus Rick Kraus

Department of Physics alumnus Rick Kraus ('07) was awarded the PECASE for materials and planetary science research

Yellow and black harlequin frog sitting on a rock
Amphibian extinction research takes next step to study how disease outbreaks subside

Biologist Jamie Voyles receives National Science Foundation CAREER Award to continue research

Matteo Aureli
Matteo Aureli receives National Science Foundation CAREER Award

Matteo Aureli's research serves national interest from a scientific, economic and security perspective

A photo of the outside of Scrugham Mining and Engineering building.
CAREER awards presented to three College of Engineering faculty

These prestigious awards from the National Science Foundation benefit research opportunities for new faculty

Three people dressed in protective hard hats and lab coats are cutting meat in the meat-production lab
Advancements in meat sciences leads to award, national appointment for CABNR's Amilton de Mello

Industry is seeing surge of innovation and safety advancements through research by the 2018 Foundation Early Career Innovator

Students in Wallace's lab
CABNR professor receives National Science Foundation grant for plant research

Ian Wallace, professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, honored with early career development award

Antonio Faciola, assistant professor of animal nutrition at UNR
CABNR animal nutritionist named Early Career Innovator

Research to facilitate nutrient utilization exhibits promising future in commercialization

Yiliang Leon Liao
Yiliang Liao receives prestigious early-career Powe Award

Grant will enhance research to improve durability of structural steels

Wesley Chalifoux receives NSF Career Award to conduct research to develop new chemical devices.
Chemistry department’s Wesley Chalifoux receives NSF Career Award

Conducts research to develop new chemical devices for efficient synthesis of biologically active compounds

Sarah Cowie
University anthropology professor honored with prestigious presidential award

Sarah Cowie awarded for her work surrounding Native and non-Native American collaboration

E-Braille research gets prestigious National Science Foundation support

Award recognizes early career success, funds research of Engineering's Yantao Shen

Assistant professor Chanwoo Park receives prestigious Science Foundation CAREER award

Award recognizes early career success, funds research

University alumna receives President’s Early Career Award

Katherine Iverson recognized for her work researching women’s health and traumatic stress

Electrochemistry professor awarded $650,000 CAREER chemistry grant

University of Nevada, Reno’s Mario Alpuche, receives five year grant from National Science Foundation

College of Engineering's Henry Fu receives $400,000 NSF CAREER Award

Research will explore microorganism mobility in the body and the environment

Li awarded $569,000 National Science Foundation grant

Researcher Qizhen Li to develop and study magnesium-based nanoporous materials

Chemistry professor awarded prestigious Sloan Fellowship

Chemistry professor enjoys a week to remember

Chemistry brews another NSF CAREER winner