Federal Landscape for Early-Career Opportunities

A Presentation to UC Riverside

Michael Ledford, Kaitlin Chell, and Karen MowrerLewis-Burke Associates, LLC

January 2014

Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC is a leading full-service government relations firm specializing in advocating for the public policy interests of institutions of higher education and other researchand education organizations

• Began working with UC Riverside in November 2012• 23 professional staff members• 26 clients, all nonprofits involved in research and/or education

– 15 universities– 3 contractors running national research facilities– 8 associations

Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

2

• Young Investigator Program– Office of Naval Research (ONR)– Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)– Army Research Office (ARO)

• Young Faculty Award– DARPA

• CDMRP New Investigator Awards• NSA Math Science Program, includes young

investigators grants

Department of Defense

3

• Institute of Education Sciences– Research Training Program in Special Education:

Early Career Development and Mentoring• PIs must be within three years of completing their

doctoral degree or postdoctoral program and must hold a tenure track position or accepted an offer for such a position

Departments of Education

4

• Early Career Research Program– Support given for disciplines supported by Office of

Science– No more than 10 years can have passed between the

PI’s PhD and the year of the deadline for the application

– ~30-50 awards made annually

Department of Energy

• NIH Independent Scientist Award (Parent K02)• NIH Academic Career Development Award (Parent

K07)• NIH Career Transition Awards (K22)• NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent

K99/R00)• NIH Director’s New Innovator Award Program (DP2)• NIH Director’s Early Independence Award (DP5)• AHRQ Independent Scientist Awards (K02)

Health and Human Services (NIH & AHRQ)

• Space Tech Research Opportunities for Early-Career Faculty– Aligned with space technology roadmaps– Must be within 7 years of receiving PhD

• Fellowships for Early Career Researchers in Planetary Science– Limited to specific planetary science research programs

• Early Career Investigator Program in Earth Science (new)– Proposals must contain significant outreach/education

component

NASA

• NEA Literature Fellowship– Alternates annually between fellowships in poetry and

prose• NEH Fellowship

– Funds individuals conducting research valuable to humanities scholars and/or general audiences

NEA & NEH

• Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)– Provides five years of funding to pre-tenure faculty

for integrated research and education activities– Must be “assistant professor” or equivalent in a

tenure-track position

NSF

• Improve understanding of the federal government and how the research agencies operate

• Make connections with relevant program officers; they want to talk to you!

• Understand how to frame proposals for maximum success

Early Career Agency Interactions

• Do your homework: many questions program officers are asked can be answered by reading the solicitations, an agency’s proposal guidelines, or a program’s website

• Don’t cold-call: instead, send an email with a short summary and suggest times to discuss by phone. This allows the program officer to do some research on you and any past/current awards that you have

• Annual meetings: many program officers staff the booths at societies’ annual meetings. Be sure to stop by and have a conversation with them. If you want to have a longer conversation at a meeting, send them an email in advance

Working with Program Officers

Contact

Kaitlin ChellLewis-Burke Associates LLC

1341 G Street, NWEighth Floor

Washington, D.C. 20005e: kaitlin@lewis-burke.com

p: 202.289.7475f: 202.289.7454

www.lewis-burke.com

12