Training Opportunities
Research Development, Proposal Development, and Graphics:
Information Sessions, Panel Discussions, and Workshops
This spring and summer, we're excited to offer a new series of research and proposal development training opportunities, with many of them focused on the early career and young investigator awards sponsored by federal agencies. We'll kick off the training season with an Introduction to Federal Early Career and Young Investigator Awards, during which we'll disentangle the goals and priorities of several competitive award mechanisms. We'll then offer follow-on information sessions and panel discussions on some of these mechanisms—including the DOE Early Career Award, the NSF CAREER Award, and the ONR Young Investigator Program—that will feature distinguished award winners. Because graphics can significantly augment proposal text, we'll also be offering a training session on Graphics for Proposals, Figures, and Cover Art.
Information sessions and panel discussions will provide you with the knowledge you need to confidently prepare and submit a competitive proposal to one of the featured early career and young investigator programs, and you'll find that the hands-on workshops that follow will benefit you in a number of ways, 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.
Please scroll through the descriptions of this spring and summer's training opportunities below for details about each one, and feel free to contact us with questions. We're looking forward to having you join us for these events!
Introduction to Federal Awards for Early Career and Young Investigators
Description. Navigating the federal research funding landscape as an early-career faculty member can be challenging. With dozens of funding agencies, hundreds of programs, and a high probability of rejection, how do you know if you’ve selected the “right” funding opportunities to support your research? How do we demystify funder guidelines, communicate effectively with Program Officers, and strategically pitch our projects? This 90-minute information session will provide an engaging overview focused on the federal research awards for early career faculty and young investigators. An experienced representative from the Rice Office of Research Development will help early career faculty members disentangle the goals and priorities of several competitive award mechanisms, including:
- National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Early Career Research Program
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award
- U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Office of Naval Research (ONR) Young Investigator Program (YIP)
Participants will receive expert guidance on understanding funder solicitations and restrictions, making connections with relevant resources on campus, and strategies for crafting competitive research proposals.
Eligible Participants. All Rice faculty, postdocs, and research administrators are welcome to attend. Early career and tenure-track faculty in the Schools of Engineering, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences are especially encouraged to attend.
Logistics. This session will be held in person on Tuesday, February 20th (10:30 a.m. to 12 noon), in the Cambridge Office Building, Room 112. Light refreshments/coffee will be served. This information session will be led by Jonathan Meyer, Senior Research Development Specialist in the Office of Research Development.
Registration. Registration is required, and the registration form must be completed and submitted no later than 11:45 p.m. on Sunday, February 18, 2024. Please address questions to Jonathan Meyer at jdm25@rice.edu.
Sponsor Due Dates:
- DARPA Young Faculty Award: February, annually
- DOE Early Career Research Program: April, annually
- DOD ONR Young Investigator Program: July, annually
- NSF CAREER Award: July, annually
Introduction to the DOE Early Career Award: Information Session and Panel Discussion
Description. During this talk, we'll cover the DOE's mission and current programmatic priorities, the proposal requirements and expectations for the Early Career Award, the proposal strategies that you can implement to make your proposal as compelling and competitive as possible, and the review criteria and review process for the Award. After the talk, we'll be joined by DOE Early Career Award winners Ming Tang, Associate Professor of Materials Science and Nanoengineering, and Ming Yi, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy. These distinguished panelists share valuable first-hand insights into the DOE and its Early Career Award program, into what it takes to be successful in securing a DOE Early Career Award, and into their proposal writing strategies and processes; they'll also take questions from the audience. Following the event, and based on attendee interest, we'll organize a hands-on workshop. The interactive workshop sessions will offer an opportunity to work on proposal drafts, receive personalized feedback, and learn best practices from experienced professionals. Please join us for this comprehensive session, which promises to be a great opportunity for learning, professional development, and networking with fellow researchers and specialists.
Eligible Participants. All Rice untenured, tenure-track assistant or associate professors in the Schools of Engineering or Natural Sciences are welcome to attend. Those conducting research in Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Biological and Environmental Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Fusion Energy Sciences, High-Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, Accelerator R&D and Production, and Isotope R&D and Production are especially encouraged to attend. Note: Due to the Covid pandemic, the DOE Office of Science is extending the eligibility window for this competition from 10 to 12 years for all applicants.
Logistics. This session will be held in person on Tuesday, February 27th (11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) in Cambridge Office Building, Room 116. Lunch will be provided. This information session will be led by Phyllis McBride, Executive Director of the Office of Research Development Services.
Registration. Registration is required, and the registration form must be completed and submitted no later than 11:45 p.m. on Friday, February 23, 2024. Please address questions to Phyllis McBride at pmcbride@rice.edu.
Sponsor Due Date. April 25, 2024. The FOA is available at https://science.osti.gov/grants/FOAs/-/media/grants/pdf/foas/2024/DE-FOA-0003176-000001.pdf.
NSF CAREER Award Information Session and Peer Review Workshop
Description. This year’s informative, hands-on workshop series is divided into two segments. Phase I includes 3 information sessions during which you'll learn about the NSF CAREER Award and its requirements and expectations, become familiar with campus offices that can support your work, query past winners on their experiences and insights, become familiar with the Project Summary, and learn how to design a sound, assessable, and compelling educational plan for your proposal. Phase II includes 6 peer review sessions followed by a mock review panel with experts in your field. During this phase, you'll write and revise a project summary and receive detailed peer feedback, draft a project description, analyze strategies and techniques in winning CAREER proposals, hear what reviewers look for when evaluating proposals, benefit from one-on-one developmental editing feedback from staff in the Office of Research Development, receive technical feedback from experts in your field, and establish a writing practice.
Eligible Participants. All Rice tenure-track assistant professors in the Schools of Engineering, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences are welcome to attend.
Logistics. These sessions will be held in person on Wednesdays (12:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.) in Cambridge Office Building, Room 112. Lunch will be provided. Phase I meeting dates will be March 27, April 3, and April 10. Phase II meeting dates will be May 8, May 15, May 22, May 29, June 5, and June 12. This workshop will be led by Elizabeth Festa, Associate Director of the Office of Research Development.
Sponsor Due Date. July 24, 2024. The program solicitation is available at https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/faculty-early-career-development-program-career/nsf22-586/solicitation.
Registration. Registration is required. The registration form for Phase I must be submitted no later than 11:45 p.m. on March 20, 2024, and the registration form for Phase II must be submitted no later than 11:45 p.m. on May 1, 2024. Please address questions to Elizabeth Festa at eaf2@rice.edu.
Graphics for Proposals, Figures, and Cover Art
Description. This workshop will cover three areas of interest: 1) Introductory: Creating appealing graphics that convey information and ease eye strain; 2) Intermediate: Understanding the best pictorial style to use for different applications (proposal graphics, schematics, drafting, iconography); and Advanced: Designing full-page scientific illustrations, 3D renderings: combining photorealism and non-photorealistic effects.
Eligible Participants. All Rice faculty and postdocs are welcome to attend.
Logistics. This session will be held in person on Friday, March 29 (1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.) in Cambridge Office Building, Room 112. Light refreshments/coffee will be served. This information session will be led by Mario Norton, Graphic Specialist in the Office of Research Development.
Registration. Registration is required, and the registration form must be completed and submitted no later than 11:45 p.m. on March 27, 2024. Please address questions to Mario Norton at men3@rice.edu.
Introduction to the DOD Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program: Information Session and Panel Discussion
Description. During this talk, we'll guide early-career researchers through the intricacies of proposal writing and funding acquisition for the Department of Defense's Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program (DOD ONR YIP). Specifically, we'll delve into composing effective research proposals for the DOD ONR YIP, aligning your research objectives with DOD priorities, and understanding the ONR's evaluation criteria. After the talk, we'll be joined by ONR YIP Award winners Guido Pagano, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, and Jeff Tabor, Professor of BioSciences. These distinguished panelists will share their firsthand experiences, insights, and strategies that led to their success, providing a unique and practical perspective on the application process; they'll also take questions from the audience. Following the event, and based on attendee interest, we'll organize a hands-on workshop. The interactive workshop sessions will offer an opportunity to work on proposal drafts, receive personalized feedback, and learn best practices from experienced professionals. Please join us for this comprehensive session, which promises to be a great opportunity for learning, professional development, and networking with fellow researchers and specialists.
Eligible Participants. All Rice faculty who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents (on the date proposals are due), who hold a first or second full-time tenure-track or tenure-track-equivalent faculty position, and who have received his/her PhD or equivalent degree on or after January 1, 2016, are welcome to attend. PIs should be planning to address one of the research areas described in the Science and Technology Department section of ONR's website at https://www.nre.navy.mil/. (Note: The date by which the PI has received his/her PhD or equivalent degree will be updated when the new program solicitation is released.) The term "national" of the United States includes a native resident of a possession of the United States, such as American Samoa.
Logistics. This session will be held in person on Tuesday, April 9 (12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.) in Cambridge Office Building, Room 110. Light refreshments/coffee will be served. This information session will be led by Molly Slattery, Director of the Office of Research Development.
Registration. Registration is required, and the registration form must be completed and submitted no later than 11:45 p.m. on April 5, 2024. Please address questions to Molly Slattery at slattery@rice.edu.
Sponsor Due Date. April 30 2024. The FOA is available at Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Young Investigator Program (YIP) | Office of Naval Research (navy.mil).