Attention associate professors! NSF Mid-Career Advancement proposals due Feb. 1

The National Science Foundation’s Mid-Career Advancement (MCA) program offers an opportunity for scientists and engineers at the associate professor rank (or equivalent) to substantively enhance and advance their research program through synergistic and mutually beneficial partnerships, typically at an institution other than their home institution. Projects that envision new insights on existing problems or identify new but related problems previously inaccessible without new methodology or expertise from other fields are encouraged.

• Application deadline: Febuary 1, 2021

Partners from outside the PI’s own sub-discipline or discipline are encouraged, but not required, to enhance interdisciplinary networking and convergence across science and engineering fields.

By (re)-investing in mid-career investigators, NSF aims to enable and grow a more diverse scientific workforce (more women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities) at high academic ranks, who remain engaged and active in cutting-edge research.

The MCA is the only cross-directorate NSF program specifically aimed at providing protected time and resources to established scientists and engineers at the mid-career (associate professor rank or equivalent) stage. Participating programs in the directorates for biological sciences; geosciences; engineering; social, behavioral and economic sciences; and education and human resources will accept MCA proposals. PIs are encouraged to discuss the suitability of their MCA proposal with a program officer from the appropriate directorate.

If you are interested, the NSF 21-516 program solicitation should be reviewed in full for program, proposal, and budget guidelines. Please contact the Office of Research and Graduate Education’s pre-award team at your earliest convenience.