NSF CAREER Grant UPDATE Thread

[humptydumpty]

Congrats to all those who are winning CAREER this year.

An unrelated question. I see many posts stating that if you see status update with a new date in January (assuming there was a review in December) and have not yet been contacted by the PO, then it is pretty sure that you have a rejection coming. Is this true for most NSf grants not just CAREER. Any experience to the contrary?

I don't recall what happened with my last NSF grant. After all the anxiety, this one small detail is easily forgotten till you are waiting the next time.

In my experience, this has been true for all of my declined NSF awards, including CAREER.

[research_prof]

Congrats to all those who are winning CAREER this year.

An unrelated question. I see many posts stating that if you see status update with a new date in January (assuming there was a review in December) and have not yet been contacted by the PO, then it is pretty sure that you have a rejection coming. Is this true for most NSf grants not just CAREER. Any experience to the contrary?

I don't recall what happened with my last NSF grant. After all the anxiety, this one small detail is easily forgotten till you are waiting the next time.

Here (not CAREER but another program). But it is really uncommon.

[aspiring.academic]

Congrats to all those who are winning CAREER this year.

An unrelated question. I see many posts stating that if you see status update with a new date in January (assuming there was a review in December) and have not yet been contacted by the PO, then it is pretty sure that you have a rejection coming. Is this true for most NSf grants not just CAREER. Any experience to the contrary?

I don't recall what happened with my last NSF grant. After all the anxiety, this one small detail is easily forgotten till you are waiting the next time.

Not necessarily.
I had a date change and wasn't contacted for 2-3 weeks.

[PI]

Aspiring.academic, shall we assume you got positive news after those 2-3 weeks? This is good to know for everyone who panics upon seeing a date change. Was the  review at least a month before the date change you saw?

[research_prof]

Aspiring.academic, shall we assume you got positive news after those 2-3 weeks? This is good to know for everyone who panics upon seeing a date change. Was the  review at least a month before the date change you saw?

I do not think so. I had date changes for two other programs and I was contacted about the rejection a month after the first date change and 2 months after the second change.

[aspiring.academic]

Aspiring.academic, shall we assume you got positive news after those 2-3 weeks? This is good to know for everyone who panics upon seeing a date change. Was the  review at least a month before the date change you saw?

Correct. The status date change for one proposal was mid October and I was contacted in early November with positive news.
There's no hard rule on date changes so don't read too much into it. They don't always mean that a rejection is imminent.
Until you've been declined you're still in the running.

[PI]

These is good information. For regular NSF grants, is it true that you would get a rejection notification at least several weeks before the next submission deadline (to allow you to submit in that cycle)? This is what the PO told me - meaning they would let all the declines know soon as possible to allow submitting again. We are 2- 3 weeks from the next deadline now. Status update was seen this week. But no rejection or email from the PO.

[aspiring.academic]

These is good information. For regular NSF grants, is it true that you would get a rejection notification at least several weeks before the next submission deadline (to allow you to submit in that cycle)? This is what the PO told me - meaning they would let all the declines know soon as possible to allow submitting again. We are 2- 3 weeks from the next deadline now. Status update was seen this week. But no rejection or email from the PO.

The same happened with my CAREER proposal last year. It was a month before the next cycle's deadline before I got my rejection.

Since it had been 11 months, I assumed a decline and started preparing for the next cycle. In my case, it turned out that was the right approach to take.

If you're facing a similar situation, I'd operate on the assumption of rejection and prepare for your next submission. In most cases, even without the panel summary and reviews, you have some thoughts about improving your proposal, so I would begin working on those.

It's also possible that a decline coming so close to the next submission deadline means that you were on the cusp of funding, so there may not be significant reversions to implement.

[mlpkop]

Status date changed today... considering the timing (Friday:) & close to 6-month after submission), almost surely a rejection is on the way (tonight 10pm Eastern Time?)

Third time applicant here. I kind of expected this: i wasn't able to put in good efforts in the summer to improve the proposal from last time... Will get in touch with the PO to see if the proposed idea is worthy of resubmitting as a standard proposal.

Good luck to everyone here on their proposals (CAREER & non-CAREER). Appreciate everyone's inputs in this thread and many other threads in the fora. 

[rusunyii]

Mine is in CISE. We have a similar timeline. Hope it will be recommended soon.

Which program did you apply to? I submitted my Abstract and C&P a little over a month ago and the status still pending.

Ugh, just got a status date change a few weeks after sending my response/abstract to the PO. Still Pending, no additional contact.

I have a feeling I'm getting rejected.

It should be fine. I think yours will be officially recommended soon (they are making progress). When did you send the response/abstract? I have sent my abstract for more than 1 month. It is still pending (no status change).

[BoMiu]

Status date changed today... considering the timing (Friday:) & close to 6-month after submission), almost surely a rejection is on the way (tonight 10pm Eastern Time?)

Third time applicant here. I kind of expected this: i wasn't able to put in good efforts in the summer to improve the proposal from last time... Will get in touch with the PO to see if the proposed idea is worthy of resubmitting as a standard proposal.

Good luck to everyone here on their proposals (CAREER & non-CAREER). Appreciate everyone's inputs in this thread and many other threads in the fora.

I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully you didn't receive anything Friday night and you are still in the running.

I'm sort of in the same boat. This is my third attempt, and last summer I only spent minimal time revising my old proposal because of a lot of things in my life. Given the competitiveness I don't have high hopes.

[mlpkop]

Status date changed today... considering the timing (Friday:) & close to 6-month after submission), almost surely a rejection is on the way (tonight 10pm Eastern Time?)

Third time applicant here. I kind of expected this: i wasn't able to put in good efforts in the summer to improve the proposal from last time... Will get in touch with the PO to see if the proposed idea is worthy of resubmitting as a standard proposal.

Good luck to everyone here on their proposals (CAREER & non-CAREER). Appreciate everyone's inputs in this thread and many other threads in the fora.

I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully you didn't receive anything Friday night and you are still in the running.

I'm sort of in the same boat. This is my third attempt, and last summer I only spent minimal time revising my old proposal because of a lot of things in my life. Given the competitiveness I don't have high hopes.

Thanks for the words. Good luck to your proposal!

Luckily no email tonight and hopefully none over the long weekend before the school starts...

[angelama]

Has your CAREER been proposal recommended? I was also contacted by the PM in Dec for C&P and Abstract, and there is no news since then. The proposal status is still pending with no date change.

My experience with two of the NSF grants so far.

Case 1: NSF DMR (2018)

May 22nd - PM sent an email saying "recommended for funding" and asked for C&P and Abstract (status still pending no date change)
June 4th - status changed to recommended.
June 22nd - status changed to Awarded

Case 1: NSF DMR CAREER (2020)

October 28th - PM asked to clarify some issues raised by one of the referees. (no change in date or status)
December 8th - PM sent an email saying "recommended for funding" and asked for C&P and Abstract (status still pending no date change)
Until today no change in date of status.

I hope this gives you some sort of idea of the process and timeline.

I guess, but they haven't actually said it's been recommended for funding. They also said that they're doing some sort of analysis. That is pretty different verbiage from what other people are getting.

Some PMs directly say that they will recommend the proposal, while some PMs only say that they are considering recommending the proposal but not guarantee. I guess you are trying to identify whether there is any chance that the PMs do not recommend after they approaching PIs. I also would like to know! Anyone has some thoughts? Is 'will recommend' equivalent to 'consider recommending'?

[ocean2428]

No news since PM asked for Abstract and C&P. PM's email says that recommend for funding but nothing has changed in Research.gov. Still has the original submission date and status pending.

Has your CAREER been proposal recommended? I was also contacted by the PM in Dec for C&P and Abstract, and there is no news since then. The proposal status is still pending with no date change.

My experience with two of the NSF grants so far.

Case 1: NSF DMR (2018)

May 22nd - PM sent an email saying "recommended for funding" and asked for C&P and Abstract (status still pending no date change)
June 4th - status changed to recommended.
June 22nd - status changed to Awarded

Case 1: NSF DMR CAREER (2020)

October 28th - PM asked to clarify some issues raised by one of the referees. (no change in date or status)
December 8th - PM sent an email saying "recommended for funding" and asked for C&P and Abstract (status still pending no date change)
Until today no change in date of status.

I hope this gives you some sort of idea of the process and timeline.

I guess, but they haven't actually said it's been recommended for funding. They also said that they're doing some sort of analysis. That is pretty different verbiage from what other people are getting.

Some PMs directly say that they will recommend the proposal, while some PMs only say that they are considering recommending the proposal but not guarantee. I guess you are trying to identify whether there is any chance that the PMs do not recommend after they approaching PIs. I also would like to know! Anyone has some thoughts? Is 'will recommend' equivalent to 'consider recommending'?

[angelama]

Thanks - same here. Not sure what is happening. My previous proposals never took so long.

No news since PM asked for Abstract and C&P. PM's email says that recommend for funding but nothing has changed in Research.gov. Still has the original submission date and status pending.

Has your CAREER been proposal recommended? I was also contacted by the PM in Dec for C&P and Abstract, and there is no news since then. The proposal status is still pending with no date change.

My experience with two of the NSF grants so far.

Case 1: NSF DMR (2018)

May 22nd - PM sent an email saying "recommended for funding" and asked for C&P and Abstract (status still pending no date change)
June 4th - status changed to recommended.
June 22nd - status changed to Awarded

Case 1: NSF DMR CAREER (2020)

October 28th - PM asked to clarify some issues raised by one of the referees. (no change in date or status)
December 8th - PM sent an email saying "recommended for funding" and asked for C&P and Abstract (status still pending no date change)
Until today no change in date of status.

I hope this gives you some sort of idea of the process and timeline.

I guess, but they haven't actually said it's been recommended for funding. They also said that they're doing some sort of analysis. That is pretty different verbiage from what other people are getting.

Some PMs directly say that they will recommend the proposal, while some PMs only say that they are considering recommending the proposal but not guarantee. I guess you are trying to identify whether there is any chance that the PMs do not recommend after they approaching PIs. I also would like to know! Anyone has some thoughts? Is 'will recommend' equivalent to 'consider recommending'?