Training Opportunities

Proposal Writing Workshops and Seminars

This spring and summer we're offering a wide range of proposal writing workshops and seminars:  We will have a workshop on the NEH Fellowship, Summer Stipend, and Other NEH proposals;  a seminar and workshop on the NSF CAREER Award proposal;  and a seminar and workshop on the NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award proposal.

While each of the proposal writing workshops described below focuses on a particular sponsor and program, all workshops confer a number of benefits, enabling you to: 

  • Become familiar with the entire research development and proposal writing process.
  • Prioritize your proposal with a set of internal deadlines.
  • Write multiple drafts of your proposal.
  • Obtain feedback from a proposal development specialist as well as from your peers in the workshop.
  • Analyze strategies and techniques others use to present their projects.
  • Consider how best to present your own ideas.
  • Understand the proposal review process.
  • Work in a positive, interdisciplinary, and collaborative environment.
  • Meet potential collaborators for future projects.

Scroll through the descriptions of this spring and summer's training opportunities below to learn more about each of our workshops, and feel free to contact us with questions.

Seven-Week Proposal Writing Workshop

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
Fellowship, Summer Stipend, and Other NEH Proposals

This seven-week, intensive proposal writing workshop will introduce participants to the National Endowment for the Humanities and will guide participants through the preparation of an NEH proposal.  The focus will be on NEH Fellowship and NEH Summer Stipend proposals, but applicants interested in preparing a proposal to another NEH program are welcome to participate.  The focus will be on writing the narrative section of the proposal.  Each week participants will share proposal drafts and receive feedback from colleagues.

Eligible Participants

Faculty of all ranks who are proposing research aligned with NEH’s mission are eligible to apply.

Workshop Dates, Times, and Location

Tuesdays from February 28, 2023, to April 11, 2023.  All workshop meetings will take place from 11:30-1:30, with lunch provided, in Cambridge Office Building, Room 112.

Registration Deadline

Interested faculty must register to participate in the workshop.  Please complete and submit the registration form no later than 11:00 p.m. on Friday, February 24, 2023. 

Questions

Please address questions to Phyllis McBride at pmcbride@rice.edu.

Three-Week Proposal Writing Seminar 

National Science Foundation (NSF)
CAREER Award Proposals 

This three-week proposal writing seminar will introduce participants to the National Science Foundation and will provide participants with an overview of the NSF CAREER Award program, help them become familiar with the various campus offices that can support them as they draft their CAREER proposals, and enable them to hear and learn from previous CAREER Award winners.

Eligible Participants

Tenure-track assistant professors in Engineering, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences.

Workshop Dates, Times, and Location

Wednesdays from March 22, 2023, to April 5, 2023.  All workshop meetings will take place from 12:00-2:00, with lunch provided, in Cambridge Office Building, Room 112.

Registration Deadline

Interested faculty must register to participate in the seminar.  Please complete and submit the registration form no later than 11:00 p.m. on March 17, 2023. 

Questions

Please address questions to Elizabeth Festa at eaf2@rice.edu.

Six-Week Proposal Writing Workshop with Follow-on Mock Review Panels

National Science Foundation (NSF)
CAREER Award Proposals

This six-week, intensive proposal writing workshop will begin with peer review sessions and will be followed by two weeks of mock review panels.  The focus will be on writing the project summary and project description.  Each week participants will share proposal drafts and receive feedback from colleagues.

Eligible Participants

Tenure-track assistance professors in Engineering, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences.

Workshop Dates, Times, and Location

Wednesdays from May 17, 2023, to June 21, 2023.  All workshop meetings will be held from 12:00-2:00, with lunch provided, in Cambridge Office Building, Room 112.

Registration Deadline

Interested faculty must register to participate in the workshop.  Please complete and submit the registration form no later than 11:00 p.m. on May 12, 2023.

Questions

Please address questions to Elizabeth Festa at eaf2@rice.edu.

Three-Hour Proposal Writing Seminar

National Institutes of Health (NIH)
K99/R00:  Pathway to Independence Award Proposals

This three-hour seminar will provide attendees with information on the NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award.  Seminar attendees who are interested in and eligible for the K99/R00 will be invited to apply to participate in the follow-on K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Proposal Writing Workshop (see below).

Eligible Participants

Postdocs in Engineering, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences are eligible to participate. 

Seminar Date, Times, and Location

Thursday, May 25, 2023.  The three-hour seminar will take place from 1:00-4:00 in Cambridge Office Building Room 112.

Registration Deadline

Interested postdocs must register to participate in the seminar.  Please complete and submit the registration form no later than 11:00 p.m. on Monday, May 22, 2023. 

Questions

Please address questions to Jon Meyer at jdm25@rice.edu.

Six-Week Proposal Writing Workshop

National Institutes of Health (NIH)
K99/R00:  Pathway to Independence Award Proposals

This six-week, intensive proposal writing workshop will introduce participants to the National Institutes of Health and will guide participants through the preparation of an NIH research K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award proposal.  The focus will be on writing the specific aims and career development plan sections.  Each week participants will share proposal drafts and receive feedback from colleagues.

Eligible Participants

Postdocs who are proposing research aligned with NIH’s mission are eligible to apply.  

Workshop Dates, Times, and Location

Thursdays from July 6, 2023, to August 10, 2023.  All workshop meetings will take place from 11:30-1:30, with lunch provided, in Cambridge Office Building, Room 110.

Registration Deadline

Interested faculty must register to participate in the workshop.  Please note that registration requires two steps: 

  • Complete and submit the registration form no later than 11:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 29, 2023. 
  • E-mail a specific aims page (maximum of one-page) describing your proposed research project to Jon Meyer at jdm25@rice.edu by the same deadline, Thursday, June 29, 2023.

Questions

Please address questions to Jon Meyer at jdm25@rice.edu.