2026 Initium NSF CAREER Proposal Development Program
The NSF CAREER program is a significant milestone for early-career faculty. Preparing a competitive proposal requires not only a clear research and education vision, but also sustained effort in writing a compelling proposal: multiple rounds of idea development, careful framing, and several cycles of drafting and refinement. The Initium CAREER proposal development program provides structured support over several months to help faculty develop a strong NSF CAREER proposal.
Participation will be limited to a small cohort of up to 20 faculty, to allow for individualized feedback and to maximize success. If of interest, please sign up to receive additional information and determine whether the program is a good fit.
What the Program Includes
- Access to a grant-writing support platform (6 months)
Participants receive access to a platform designed specifically to assist with the academic grant writing, with tools tailored to the NSF CAREER proposal.
- CAREER proposal template
A structured template aligned with NSF CAREER expectations to help organize research, education, and broader impacts components.
- Hands-on workshop
A focused session on structuring a CAREER proposal, aligning research and education plans, with key strategies for success and for addressing common pitfalls.
- Five funded CAREER proposal samples
Five examples of successful proposals to illustrate structure, tone, and level of detail.
- Two rounds of feedback from a CAREER awardee
Feedback on an initial summary page, and on a complete proposal draft, from a former CAREER awardee. This is in addition to the AI reviews already available on the platform.
What Participants Say
"Initium brought together strong proposal resources -- including literature review, sample proposals, and personalized feedback -- in one place, which I found especially useful."
Amritanshu Pandey
University of Vermont
"The AI-supported brainstorming and proposal review were particularly helpful, and having access to both the platform and strong mentorship made a real difference."
Alexander Rodriguez
University of Michigan
