National Science Foundation · General
NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)
Funds untenured faculty pursuing integrated research and education plans in NSF-supported disciplines. Submitted by the institution on behalf of the principal investigator; one of NSF's most prestigious early-career awards.
Program facts
- Typical award
- $400K – $600K
- Non-federal match
- Varies by NOFO
- Audience
- Local governments and eligible subrecipients
- Application window
- Annual; deadline typically in July.
- Typical prep time
- 10–18 weeks
- Statutory authority
- National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. §1861 et seq.)
Catalog entry last verified 2026-05-27 · Verify on the agency page →
Eligibility at a glance
- Institutions of higher education are eligible applicants.
Five-year award; minimum award amount varies by directorate (BIO/EHR/SBE have higher floors). Amounts and timing approximate; verify directly with administering agency.
How Strategic Pursuit scores this program
When you run a city dossier, Strategic Pursuit cross-checks the city's demographics, federal award history, disaster history, and CEJST burden categories against this program's eligibility and strategic-fit signals. You see an explicit eligibility / strategic / competitive grade — backed by source citations — instead of a generic "match" badge.
Planning purposes only. Award ranges, match percentages, and application windows on this page summarize the latest publicly available agency guidance and are approximate. Always verify the binding NOFO on the administering agency's page before applying.