Has anyone heard back about NSF CAREER yet?
Given that the CAREER deadline was July 26, 2021, you should not be expecting to hear back for another month or so at the earliest. Typically, the proposals that are most competitive for funding are notified earliest, as are the ones which are definite rejects. The proposals that are at the cusp tend to take more time to receive a final decision on.
Absolutely! This is my third attempt and I know that people generally start getting requests for abstracts around this time.
Anyone here have applied for the office of advanced cyber infrastructure (OAC)?
Any one has applied for CMMI?
Has anyone heard from Human-Centered Computing (HCC)
A bunch of DMR awards have been made.
Hi everyone, I received an email asking for an award abstract, but also asking for responses to reviewers. Is this common?
I think it may depend on the field/PO how common it is, but it isn't weird. Of our last three awarded CAREER grants, two were awarded without requiring responses to reviewers and one had to do a fairly extensive set of responses (and was also asked/instructed to increase the budget by ~25%!).
That is very common. Do you mind letting us know which program/division?
Quote from: humptydumpty on December 07, 2021, 02:33:40 PM
Hi everyone, I received an email asking for an award abstract, but also asking for responses to reviewers. Is this common?
Has anyone heard back about their CAREER proposal this year?
Not yet, nothing changes.
I haven't heard anything on mine. I'm oscillating between checking impulsively and trying to forget about it.
Has anyone heard any news from CISE-IIS-HCC at all? My status date changed to pending on January 18 without any contact from the PO. Assuming that the response is negative at this point.
My status date changed to pending on January 06 without any contact from the PO, in CISE-CCF.
My status has not updated since the PO was assigned (CISE-IIS-III). Anyone hear anything yet?
Mine's been "pending" since October 9th.
For FRR, but PM from CISE-CCF, no status update since September.
Haven't been contacted by the PO and my status date has not changed since September (CISE-IIS-HCC). Still pending...
CMMI-AM. Has been pending since July.
E, V, V/G, G, G/F, declined today, very disappointed!
Five reviewers, and the one giving G/F is not in this field and said it is hard to follow.
This is the third time. CISE-CCF
Sorry to hear that.
It's hard to understand how those not well-versed in a field or topic can hold so much sway over those who are.
I've dealt with that in other settings, it's quite frustrating.
M.
Thanks.
Is it possible to argue with the PO? Did everyone have this kind of experience?
Quote from: mamselle on January 20, 2022, 11:02:35 AM
Sorry to hear that.
It's hard to understand how those not well-versed in a field or topic can hold so much sway over those who are.
I've dealt with that in other settings, it's quite frustrating.
M.
Quote from: alex000 on January 20, 2022, 01:36:31 PM
Thanks.
Is it possible to argue with the PO? Did everyone have this kind of experience?
Quote from: mamselle on January 20, 2022, 11:02:35 AM
Sorry to hear that.
It's hard to understand how those not well-versed in a field or topic can hold so much sway over those who are.
I've dealt with that in other settings, it's quite frustrating.
M.
Good luck with that. I do not think it will work.
Quote from: alex000 on January 20, 2022, 10:11:44 AM
E, V, V/G, G, G/F, declined today, very disappointed!
Five reviewers, and the one giving G/F is not in this field and said it is hard to follow.
This is the third time. CISE-CCF
Frankly, these are not good scores and are indicative that there is a fundamental problem with either your research program or how you are describing your research program. Have you served on an NSF review panel? If not, I recommend that you volunteer to do so, as it can be quite illuminating. Every field has slightly different expectations as to how proposals are written and the evaluations may turn on unwritten rules (my field over emphasizes broader impacts, for example, because everyone's science is fantastic, so the broader impacts become the differentiator by default).
Quote from: alex000 on January 20, 2022, 01:36:31 PM
Is it possible to argue with the PO? Did everyone have this kind of experience?
I definitely would not waste my time arguing with the PO. You will get a reputation...which you do not want.
I asked around, it seems it is hard to get E in my field.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Quote from: arcturus on January 20, 2022, 02:18:54 PM
Quote from: alex000 on January 20, 2022, 10:11:44 AM
E, V, V/G, G, G/F, declined today, very disappointed!
Five reviewers, and the one giving G/F is not in this field and said it is hard to follow.
This is the third time. CISE-CCF
Frankly, these are not good scores and are indicative that there is a fundamental problem with either your research program or how you are describing your research program. Have you served on an NSF review panel? If not, I recommend that you volunteer to do so, as it can be quite illuminating. Every field has slightly different expectations as to how proposals are written and the evaluations may turn on unwritten rules (my field over emphasizes broader impacts, for example, because everyone's science is fantastic, so the broader impacts become the differentiator by default).
Quote from: alex000 on January 20, 2022, 01:36:31 PM
Is it possible to argue with the PO? Did everyone have this kind of experience?
I definitely would not waste my time arguing with the PO. You will get a reputation...which you do not want.
I dont think it is hard to get an E in any field, in particular for CAREER.
It won't work to argue with the PO. But you could try to ask if an EAGER award would be possible.
Quote from: alex000 on January 20, 2022, 10:11:44 AM
E, V, V/G, G, G/F, declined today, very disappointed!
Five reviewers, and the one giving G/F is not in this field and said it is hard to follow.
This is the third time. CISE-CCF
Sorry to hear that. Hope you can turn it into a regular proposal and have the hard work payoff.
Just to add my (non-CAREER) observations, since they don't totally match what others have seen. The meaning or rarity of an "E" can vary field-to-field or even panel-to-panel. I've been awarded a grant with scores of E/VG, VG, VG. On both panels that I've been on, any proposal with an "E" warranted serious consideration. That said, G's and F's are likely to not lead to awards. Compared to the panels I've been on, your scores of E, V, V/G, G, G/F would rank you somewhere in the 50-75% range. Not getting funded, but not far off.
More importantly, everything is being discussed by the panel! Your E reviewer would have a chance to convince the G/F non-expert. All other panel members would have a chance to read the proposal, perhaps overnight, and come back in with their own opinions. Ultimately, the initial scores from reviewers are just a starting point for the discussion (note that reviewers can also adjust their reviews following the panel's discussion). Hopefully some of this is reflected in the panel summary you received.
I would echo others in strongly advising you to not complain to the PD. Instead, reach out to the PD and ask to chat.l They can also provide some additional feedback from their observations of the panel discussion.
I also recommend to contact the PM and get feedbacks.
They may offer an EAGER opportunities. My 1st try of CAREER was declined (now waiting for the results of 2nd shot). But 2 days after the official decline notice the PM emailed me and invited me for an EAGER proposal (of course, it is phrased in a skillful manner). And that money helps me a lot.
Even no EAGER opportunities, it is always good to chat with the PM and have some human interactions. You will be surprised about how much they are willing to share, as long as you ask a good question in a way that they are allowed to answer. Impression matters.
Quote from: alex000 on January 20, 2022, 02:37:25 PM
I asked around, it seems it is hard to get E in my field.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Quote from: arcturus on January 20, 2022, 02:18:54 PM
Quote from: alex000 on January 20, 2022, 10:11:44 AM
E, V, V/G, G, G/F, declined today, very disappointed!
Five reviewers, and the one giving G/F is not in this field and said it is hard to follow.
This is the third time. CISE-CCF
Frankly, these are not good scores and are indicative that there is a fundamental problem with either your research program or how you are describing your research program. Have you served on an NSF review panel? If not, I recommend that you volunteer to do so, as it can be quite illuminating. Every field has slightly different expectations as to how proposals are written and the evaluations may turn on unwritten rules (my field over emphasizes broader impacts, for example, because everyone's science is fantastic, so the broader impacts become the differentiator by default).
Quote from: alex000 on January 20, 2022, 01:36:31 PM
Is it possible to argue with the PO? Did everyone have this kind of experience?
I definitely would not waste my time arguing with the PO. You will get a reputation...which you do not want.
I'm cautiously optimistic right now since this is my first CAREER submission but has anyone ever heard positive news after the pending date changes and/or this late? Or does no contact from a PO suggest that it is most likely declined?
Thanks!
Quote from: MoO2 on January 21, 2022, 10:06:58 AM
I also recommend to contact the PM and get feedbacks.
They may offer an EAGER opportunities. My 1st try of CAREER was declined (now waiting for the results of 2nd shot). But 2 days after the official decline notice the PM emailed me and invited me for an EAGER proposal (of course, it is phrased in a skillful manner). And that money helps me a lot.
Even no EAGER opportunities, it is always good to chat with the PM and have some human interactions. You will be surprised about how much they are willing to share, as long as you ask a good question in a way that they are allowed to answer. Impression matters.
Quote from: alex000 on January 20, 2022, 02:37:25 PM
I asked around, it seems it is hard to get E in my field.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Quote from: arcturus on January 20, 2022, 02:18:54 PM
Quote from: alex000 on January 20, 2022, 10:11:44 AM
E, V, V/G, G, G/F, declined today, very disappointed!
Five reviewers, and the one giving G/F is not in this field and said it is hard to follow.
This is the third time. CISE-CCF
Frankly, these are not good scores and are indicative that there is a fundamental problem with either your research program or how you are describing your research program. Have you served on an NSF review panel? If not, I recommend that you volunteer to do so, as it can be quite illuminating. Every field has slightly different expectations as to how proposals are written and the evaluations may turn on unwritten rules (my field over emphasizes broader impacts, for example, because everyone's science is fantastic, so the broader impacts become the differentiator by default).
Quote from: alex000 on January 20, 2022, 01:36:31 PM
Is it possible to argue with the PO? Did everyone have this kind of experience?
I definitely would not waste my time arguing with the PO. You will get a reputation...which you do not want.
Got my "not funded" note today + released reviews. Ended up with 8 total, mostly G with some VG/E thrown in.
Lots of good concrete feedback that I should be able to focus on for re-submission this summer. Thankfully my BI/educational plan had very few noted weaknesses, so I can focus on the research plan.
interesting that they have 8 reviewers to review yours.
Sorry to hear about the rejection eigen. At least the reviews are constructive. Also, 8 reviews is a lot, is that normal?
I'm still waiting for an update on my submission, pending (no update) since last September. I wish I could learn to forget about it and stop refreshing :)
I'm not particularly surprised it didn't get funded as a first submission. I intentionally submitted when I've got a couple of more opportunities so I could get some feedback.
I'm not sure why so many reviews. I'm wondering if it's because I submitted to two different programs? It's something that I might consider not doing in the future, especially if I can parse which reviews seem to have come from which area.
Quote from: eigen on January 25, 2022, 12:07:37 PM
I'm not particularly surprised it didn't get funded as a first submission. I intentionally submitted when I've got a couple of more opportunities so I could get some feedback.
I'm not sure why so many reviews. I'm wondering if it's because I submitted to two different programs? It's something that I might consider not doing in the future, especially if I can parse which reviews seem to have come from which area.
It might be because you submitted to two programs, and sometimes it's because a panel liked your proposal, but did not feel they had the expertise to decide if the proposed research is novel/significant in the context of your specific field. In that situation, mail reviewers are sometimes requested.
CAREER panels tend to be quite broad, for example, there is one panel covering three programs in DMS, whereas there are typically multiple panels covering different subfields in each program of DMS. Broader and educational impact also plays a more important role in a CAREER proposal, so some panel members will have a pedagogical/teaching/outreach focus as opposed to more traditional panels where everyone is first and foremost a researcher.
Finally, my ordeal is over. My proposal got declined last night and it was my third time. The panel liked the concept of my proposal and felt that it will be impactful. But they did not like the lack of attention to a particular body of literature which impacted my score. We love attention so much.
Ratings received: E; VG(G); VG(G); G. Final rating was competitive. But it was not enough as the competition is so tough.
Good luck to all who will be writing their CAREER in future years.
Quote from: deeply_uncertain on February 03, 2022, 06:38:20 AM
Finally, my ordeal is over. My proposal got declined last night and it was my third time. The panel liked the concept of my proposal and felt that it will be impactful. But they did not like the lack of attention to a particular body of literature which impacted my score. We love attention so much.
Ratings received: E; VG(G); VG(G); G. Final rating was competitive. But it was not enough as the competition is so tough.
Good luck to all who will be writing their CAREER in future years.
Sorry to hear that but I'm sure your proposal will be very successful in a standard program. If you don't mind me asking, what program did you hear back from?
The lack of attention may mean that they believe the knowledge gap your proposal aims to fill is unclear. The intellectual merit may be low. Just my two cents.
Quote from: deeply_uncertain on February 03, 2022, 06:38:20 AM
Finally, my ordeal is over. My proposal got declined last night and it was my third time. The panel liked the concept of my proposal and felt that it will be impactful. But they did not like the lack of attention to a particular body of literature which impacted my score. We love attention so much.
Ratings received: E; VG(G); VG(G); G. Final rating was competitive. But it was not enough as the competition is so tough.
Good luck to all who will be writing their CAREER in future years.
Quote from: robohobo on February 03, 2022, 07:22:47 AM
Quote from: deeply_uncertain on February 03, 2022, 06:38:20 AM
Finally, my ordeal is over. My proposal got declined last night and it was my third time. The panel liked the concept of my proposal and felt that it will be impactful. But they did not like the lack of attention to a particular body of literature which impacted my score. We love attention so much.
Ratings received: E; VG(G); VG(G); G. Final rating was competitive. But it was not enough as the competition is so tough.
Good luck to all who will be writing their CAREER in future years.
Sorry to hear that but I'm sure your proposal will be very successful in a standard program. If you don't mind me asking, what program did you hear back from?
cmmi hdbe.
Does anyone have any insights on why CMMI programs are so quiet this year? It seems that not many awards were out on the NSF website compared with 2020 and 2021 cycles in Feb time frame. Many of you are being requested for abstract or just waiting for awards to show up on the NSF website?
Quote from: HunterNC on February 03, 2022, 12:14:57 PM
Does anyone have any insights on why CMMI programs are so quiet this year? It seems that not many awards were out on the NSF website compared with 2020 and 2021 cycles in Feb time frame. Many of you are being requested for abstract or just waiting for awards to show up on the NSF website?
Seems like several programs are very slow this year. IIS hasn't made any awards as of yet but past years it seemed like awards would start being made in January.
I have the same feeling. At least half of the awards were out in Dec in previous cycles. This year is just too quiet.
Quote from: HunterNC on February 03, 2022, 12:14:57 PM
Does anyone have any insights on why CMMI programs are so quiet this year? It seems that not many awards were out on the NSF website compared with 2020 and 2021 cycles in Feb time frame. Many of you are being requested for abstract or just waiting for awards to show up on the NSF website?
Has anyone heard about their CAREER recently? My status is still pending since September.
Not yet, it is still pending.
Mine is still pending since September.
About a week ago I was asked to respond to reviews. This week the PD asked me to submit a public abstract and a quad chart. The quad chart is new to me.
Congrats! Good news! Thanks for sharing your timeline! CISE is slow this year compared with the previous two cycles.
Quote from: arios0 on February 09, 2022, 09:30:34 AM
Mine is still pending since September.
About a week ago I was asked to respond to reviews. This week the PD asked me to submit a public abstract and a quad chart. The quad chart is new to me.
Congratulations! That is great news!
With the contact from your PD, I would not understand your status as "still pending".
Quote from: arios0 on February 09, 2022, 09:30:34 AM
Mine is still pending since September.
About a week ago I was asked to respond to reviews. This week the PD asked me to submit a public abstract and a quad chart. The quad chart is new to me.
Thanks! I'm assuming the status will change after submitting the abstract and the annual report for another NSF grant by this Friday. But, I also don't want to get my hopes up, so I'm trying to avoid "assuming" too much.
Is there anyone still waiting? Mine is in CISE.
Yes, in CMMI.
I am still waiting...I contacted the PD and he told me the proposal reviewed well, but he doesn't have money to fund it. He is holding it in case the he gets additional money. Not sure how likely it is.
Best wishes for you! Hope your PD can find some money. What program is yours?
I am still waiting for news from CMMI AM. So far, only 4-5 awards were released online. In previous cycles, +15 awards should have been publicized in late Feb.
Quote from: tryingtogetit on February 22, 2022, 10:38:48 AM
I am still waiting...I contacted the PD and he told me the proposal reviewed well, but he doesn't have money to fund it. He is holding it in case the he gets additional money. Not sure how likely it is.
Quote from: Staywarm on February 22, 2022, 11:45:44 AM
Best wishes for you! Hope your PD can find some money. What program is yours?
I am still waiting for news from CMMI AM. So far, only 4-5 awards were released online. In previous cycles, +15 awards should have been publicized in late Feb.
Quote from: tryingtogetit on February 22, 2022, 10:38:48 AM
I am still waiting...I contacted the PD and he told me the proposal reviewed well, but he doesn't have money to fund it. He is holding it in case the he gets additional money. Not sure how likely it is.
Mine is CISE IIS
still pending. crazy. how's everyone going?
Still pending, nothing changes.
My status changed to "Recommended" a few days ago.
Congrats!!
M.
Congratulations!
Thanks! Good luck to everyone still waiting.
Is anyone still waiting? Emailed PM, no reply.
Just get my CAREER formally recommended for funding earlier this week. Submitted in July last year. It takes almost a year...
Congratulations!
I am still waiting. No change of date or status. Emailed PM three times, no reply. My first NSF grant took 4 months, second one took 6 months. This one is already pending for more than 10 months.
Folks,
I posted this in another thread but posting it here, hopefully, to get some feedback.
My NSF CAREER proposal was declined...I am deeply saddened....looking over the comments I just see clowns and bullies! Last year the panel ranked my CAREER proposal "Competitive" and this year the panel ranked it "Not Competitive"...really weird. This was my third try:(
I asked the NSF PD about the ranking differences, he said "From year to year, both the composition of reviewers and the competing CAREER proposals change. I am sorry that there is not better news for you."!!!
What is your advice at this point? should I submit it as a regular proposal or EAGER? I am crying since Friday!! I worked on the idea really hard.
Thank you.
I know we have a thread for CAREER results but wanted to see if anyone else is preparing a proposal right now? I am on my third try this year and am having a bit of a difficult time getting motivated to work on it. Unfortunately my scores were worse my second year than first so hoping I don't continue that trend with the last try. Hope others are doing well!
Quote from: doc700 on June 20, 2023, 03:23:54 PMI know we have a thread for CAREER results but wanted to see if anyone else is preparing a proposal right now? I am on my third try this year and am having a bit of a difficult time getting motivated to work on it. Unfortunately my scores were worse my second year than first so hoping I don't continue that trend with the last try. Hope others are doing well!
Are you getting advice from your mentors? They may be able to help fine-tune your proposal. My field over-emphasizes the education/outreach part of the CAREER proposal, with a distinct preference for proposals that integrate the research component with the education component. Thus, projects that have great research and great education may still be turned down if they are not "sufficiently" intertwined.
Good luck!
Quote from: Vid on November 21, 2022, 05:34:49 AMMy NSF CAREER proposal was declined...I am deeply saddened....looking over the comments I just see clowns and bullies! Last year the panel ranked my CAREER proposal "Competitive" and this year the panel ranked it "Not Competitive"...really weird. This was my third try:(
I'm in a similar situation. My comments were generally favorable absent one person, and my average rating went up, but I moved from competitive to not competitive as an overall ranking.
It's been a particular challenge as the PO has changed between submission and panels each year I've submitted, and I've gotten wildly different advice from different POs. I got chided in the panel summary this year by the PO for doing what the previous PO recommended, and a mention that I "should have talked to a PO before resubmitting".
I'm not re-submitting this year, and taking the time to re-work the proposal in a more significant way + get some extra preliminary data, then will resubmit next year.
This is my third attempt but also last year of eligibility so I need to give it a go or else give up.
My first year I got generally favorable reviews. I spoke with the PO and he told me I was close to the cutoff for funding but others who were on their 3rd attempt ahead of me. He was positive and encouraging. The second year I was not competitive. I had received some other funding in the interim and the main complaint was that my output (papers) was not commensurate with the funding I had received so more money to my group would be wasted. This was a tough pill to swallow as I have complex equipment that takes a few years to build up with some delays at that time due to COVID supply chain, losing a postdoc who couldn't get a visa etc. The funding I received was ~8 months earlier so it also felt unfair to have expected a large number of papers just from that grant. I did have papers from my group at the time of the second submission but apparently the progress wasn't deemed enough. So it was very demoralizing to sink down, especially as I was also discouraged myself at that time about the COVID shutdown and delays.
I did end up getting some funds (via a collaborative grant) for the project I had in my original proposal. Thus I essentially need to write a new proposal this year as my original proposal would be somewhat overlapping with current funding. I do have some preliminary data for the new effort but no existing proposal to work from. Just trying to get up the motivation to work hard after the discouragement from the second try!
Some good news that my CAREER award was recommended! After the up and down rollercoaster of the first 2 tries, I am very excited for this positive outcome on my 3rd attempt. Best of luck to others still waiting!