NSF CAREER Grant UPDATE Thread

[professing]

Hey all,

The former CHE forums had an NSF CAREER grant update thread but I haven't been able to find one here, so I am starting one.

It's still fairly early, though I know some folks have received word on their CAREER grant applications as early as November / December.

If you have applied, please share which directorate, and whether you have had any updates.

I applied to EHR... no updates yet. This will be my last eligible attempt so wish me luck!

[polly_mer]

I applied to EHR... no updates yet. This will be my last eligible attempt so wish me luck!

Good luck!

[professing]

I applied to EHR... no updates yet. This will be my last eligible attempt so wish me luck!

Good luck!

Thanks! Fingers crossed!

I will update the thread if I hear back either way :)

I know the other thread was really active in the CHE forums. It would be great to hear if anyone else applied, what their status is, and to otherwise provide moral or emotional support through the thread. Feel free to post your status (if applicable)

[zelda166]

Good luck, professing!  Attempt #2 here to ENG... will post updates when I hear back :)

[professing]

Thanks, zelda166! Best of luck to you as well! Hopeful NSF will send responses early this year (responses were slower over the past 2 attempts).

[zelda166]

A sort-of update:  Last week, I got an email from the PO, who wrote that my "proposal reviewed well" and requested a 2-paragraph public abstract.  The email also explicitly said nothing was guaranteed.  I sent back the abstract, and on 10/25 there was a status update (i.e., date change) for my proposal, though the status remains pending. 

That's about it.  There's no further communication from the PO and my fingers very much remain crossed.

[map]

That's good (if preliminary) news. Where in ENG did you submit? I have my first try into CMMI right now, with no news yet.

[clearly_burn21]

Well that breaks my heart. Haven't heard anything from MY program manager but another PM mentioned that they were aware I had applied (WHY?!?) Looking online, there was a status date change and the PM had been changed to someone whose title is "Expert".  Not sure how to read the tea leaves here

[bazinga58]

I applied to ENG, was contacted by the PM who seemed pretty excited about my proposal, and was asked to respond to questions and submit a public abstract at the beginning of October. There hasn't been any activity since a few days later, when I assume my submission was updated with these materials. The PM indicated satisfaction with what I sent in. I thought that proposals moved to the Recommended category soon after that, if they were going to be recommended at all, but this hasn't been the case. Any guesses as to whether I still have a shot?

[zelda166]

@map: My submission was to a program in CBET.  My decline decision came pretty early last year too (late Nov).  The early time frame is more to do with how the program manager likes to handle things...

@clearly: Sounds like the status update was linked to a change in program manager rather than anything else.  Probably not worth fretting over!

Good luck to everyone that's following this board!

[map]

I applied to ENG, was contacted by the PM who seemed pretty excited about my proposal, and was asked to respond to questions and submit a public abstract at the beginning of October. There hasn't been any activity since a few days later, when I assume my submission was updated with these materials. The PM indicated satisfaction with what I sent in. I thought that proposals moved to the Recommended category soon after that, if they were going to be recommended at all, but this hasn't been the case. Any guesses as to whether I still have a shot?

My experience with non-CAREER NSF so far (two awarded, three declined) is that if they ask you for the abstract, start date, current/pending, etc., then it's almost guaranteed that it will be awarded. I've had long (7 weeks+) periods between this request and the official "recommended" flag on Research.gov, and then another month+ before an award is official. So I'd say you're still in good shape.

[tobehappyprof]

My panel was in late September. Does it mean "no news is bad news" at this point?

Good thing that fastlane is down so I don't need to check for a few days..

[zelda166]

My panel was in late September. Does it mean "no news is bad news" at this point?

Good thing that fastlane is down so I don't need to check for a few days..

I think it probably just means no news at this point.  There's only been a little over a month after the panel, and I am not sure how NSF budgets are being affected by the continuing resolution situation...

Fastlane being down was certainly a welcome enforced break!  Now I am back to daily (occasionally more) status checks.... :)

[lightofhope]

My is reviewing today and finger crossed!

[lightofhope]

This is a good sign!

A sort-of update:  Last week, I got an email from the PO, who wrote that my "proposal reviewed well" and requested a 2-paragraph public abstract.  The email also explicitly said nothing was guaranteed.  I sent back the abstract, and on 10/25 there was a status update (i.e., date change) for my proposal, though the status remains pending. 

That's about it.  There's no further communication from the PO and my fingers very much remain crossed.