The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program stands as a cornerstone initiative by the National Science Foundation (NSF), designed to propel the careers of early-stage faculty members. Recognized as the NSF’s most distinguished accolade for this career phase, the CAREER program empowers individuals who demonstrate exceptional potential to become academic role models in both research and education. It is a true Career Success Program, fostering leadership and innovation within their departments and academic organizations.
The program’s core mission is to cultivate a robust foundation for early-career academics, enabling them to seamlessly integrate education and research throughout their professional lives. NSF strongly encourages applications from all CAREER-eligible institutions, with a particular emphasis on fostering diversity and inclusion by inviting women, underrepresented minorities, and individuals with disabilities to apply and benefit from this career success program.
Building upon the foundation of the CAREER program, the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) represent the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government upon outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. Each year, the NSF nominates a select group of CAREER awardees for PECASE, recognizing their exceptional merit.
Selection for the PECASE award hinges on three critical benchmarks of career success:
- Pioneering Research: Demonstrating exceptional innovation at the cutting edge of science, engineering, and technology, directly contributing to the sponsoring agency’s mission.
- Community Impact: Exhibiting a strong commitment to community service through scientific leadership, educational outreach, or broader community engagement.
- STEM Equity and Inclusion: A clear dedication to advancing STEM equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion in all aspects of their work and beyond.
These prestigious awards serve a multifaceted purpose: they stimulate groundbreaking advancements in science and technology, raise public awareness of STEM careers, acknowledge the crucial scientific missions of participating agencies, strengthen the links between fundamental research and national objectives, and underscore the vital role of science and technology in shaping the Nation’s future. Individuals cannot directly apply for the PECASE; nominations are initiated by federal agencies. Within NSF, up to twenty-six exceptional individuals are nominated annually from the pool of PECASE-eligible CAREER awardees. These nominees are identified as those with the greatest promise to become the leading figures in academic research and education in the twenty-first century. The final selection and public announcement of PECASE awardees are made by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, further solidifying the CAREER program and subsequent PECASE nomination as a significant career success program and recognition pathway for early career academics.
