TopTenMistakestoAvoidinWri2ngCAREERProposals

CISEMixedAdvisoryTaskforceonTechnology,Educa2on,ResearchandScience(CISEMATTERS)

Number10:FontsTooSmall

•  Smallfontspromotereaderfa2gue

•  ReviewersHATEsmallfonts

•  GPGmandates:•  11pointfontminimum•  1inchmargins•  6linesmaxperver2cal

inch

Number9:FiguresIllegible

•  Avoid“crowded”visuals

•  Don’tassumereaderwillprintincolor

•  Usevectorgraphicformats

Number8:Acronyms&Abbrevia2ons

•  AcronymsareUGLY,andmaketexthardtoread.

•  Acronymslimityouraudiencetothosewhoalreadyknowthem…

Number7:DissingtheCompe22on•  Goodidea:Ci2ngothers’work•  Badidea:Sligh2ngothers’work

(“Others”mightbesi\ngonthepanel)

Number6:Poordis2nc2onbetweenpreliminaryresultsandproposedwork

•  Makeacleardemarca2on•  Dis2nguishyourresultsfromothers’

•  Provideclearroadmapforfuturework

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Number5:LacklusterEduca2onPlan

•  Shouldbeintegratedwithresearchplan•  Thinkbeyondyourpresentteachingdu2es

Number4:DullBroaderImpacts•  BroaderImpactsask:– Howwillthisworkchangesociety?

•  Don’tconfusethiswith“extracurricularac2vi2es”notsupportedbytheresearchplan

•  Outreachplansshouldbeac2onable

Number3:ConfiningyourselftoyourPhDwork•  CAREERproposalshouldbeforward-looking•  MoveaboveandbeyondyourPhDwork•  “Imagineaworld…”

(yes) (no)

Number2:“Itwasn’tclear…”

•  Long-windedexplana2ons•  Toomanysuperfluousdetails•  Poororganiza2onofthoughtsintowords

Symptoms:

Remedies:•  Usefewerwords•  Readfirsttwopagesaloud•  “Makeeverywordtell”

Number1:ResearchPlanlackingCohesion

•  Don’tstapletogetherunrelatedideas

•  Don’tofferalaundrylistwithnopriori2za2on

•  Don’tmakeeverythinglooklikeanailtoyouronehammer

•  Tellastorywithyournarra2ve

Ques2ons?