PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Despite uncertainties in the federal funding landscape, 175 faculty members from across Brown participated in the two-day “2025 Proposal Development Workshop for Federal Funding Targets (NIH, NSF & More)” for expert guidance on developing proposals for federal funding agencies in biological sciences, physical sciences, engineering, social sciences, public health, and humanities.

Held virtually on February 13-14, the workshops were organized by the Research Strategy and Development team within Brown’s Division of Research and led by Peg AtKisson, founder and president of the AtKisson Training Group (ATG). A former neuroscientist, AtKisson has led trainings for grant proposals, research development, and grant writing since 2001.

“ATG has developed an excellent reputation over many years and is used by our peer institutions across the country,” said Betsy Stubblefield Loucks, Associate Director of Research Strategy and Development. “They are also very open to our ideas about what Brown faculty need, customizing their content to our requests.”

The workshops included four sessions: “Advancing Your Research Leadership,” “Secure an NSF CAREER Award,” “Developing Center-level Proposals (NIH, NSF, DOE and more),” and “NIH Programs for Early Stage Investigators.” Each session offered fundamental concepts, tools, practical tips, and operational strategies. 

Advancing Your Research Leadership

The first session, “Advancing Your Research Leadership,” examined the meaning of leadership, the role of a PI, and effective collaboration. AtKisson offered several practical tips for leader development: intentional positioning, an elevator pitch, and a five-year plan.

Intentional positioning involves reflecting on the following questions: What is your identity in the field? Why would others want to collaborate with you? How easy is it to tell your “story”? How do you fit with funders? Do program officers know you?

An elevator pitch is a quick and concise introduction to make a connection. AtKisson suggests being conversational, avoiding jargon, and being enthusiastic. Aim for 30 seconds, 80-90 words, and 8-10 sentences that share the question you are trying to answer, a vivid example of the problem, the people who care about it and how you’re connected to them, and how it will change when you do the work. 

A five-year plan puts current and future goals in sight. “Envision a terrific day five years from now,” AtKisson said. “What would that look like? Ten years from now, who would you be thanking? Twenty years from now, what do you want to be recognized for?” She suggests working backward to plan: draw a line and put the year markers on the line. Start from your ideal day—what’s there? Work backward to identify the milestones you would reach along the way. Create a timeline for the next six months—what can you start today to move towards your ideal day in five years?

A participant emphasized the importance of learning leadership and mentorship principles and how they can be utilized in the STEM field, remarking, “We receive very little training in either medicine or science on how to become better mentors and leaders. This experience was tremendously helpful!”

Secure an NSF CAREER Award 

The National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development Program (NSF CAREER) supports early-career faculty who have the potential to become role models in their departments or organizations, focusing on both research and education.

In a session for early-career faculty, “Secure an NSF CAREER Award,” ATG workshop presenters covered the history and purpose of the CAREER award, eligibility, timing and readiness, idea generation, and proposal preparation.

“Planning a CAREER application is planning your career,” said AtKisson. “What is your long-term vision for your career? How do you want to differentiate yourself from your mentor? What kind of education/outreach appeals to you? How do you see your education interests meshing with your research interests?”

She advised mapping out a research career plan and vision from Year 1 to Year 15 and determining how the CAREER award sets you up for longer-term success. “Show how this project positions you for the future. As a teacher-scholar or researcher-educator, you're as much a product of this award as the research you plan and the broader impacts.”

AtKisson saved half the workshop to deconstruct and teach the CAREER proposal step-by-step. For each section, she explained how to prepare materials for submission, including the cover sheet; project summary; project description; letters from collaborators and department chair; biographical sketches and synergistic activities; facilities, equipment, and other resources; budgets and justifications; and supplementary documentation.

“The proposal must be nearly flawless,” said AtKisson. “If funded, celebrate and use this investment to make yourself eligible or competitive for future funding. If you are not funded the first time, look for constructive review comments, get feedback from the Program Officer, figure out where else you can submit the application or elements of it, and plan for next year.”

Developing Center-level Proposals

In a session recommended for mid- to senior career faculty but open to all, “Developing Center-level Proposals (NIH, NSF, DoE, and more),” faculty discussed reasons for wanting a center grant—stability, complexity, collaborative science, prestige, and support from upper administration—and learned the mechanics of center-level proposals.

“You have to justify a center approach,” said AtKisson. “A unit must demonstrate that the whole is substantially greater than the sum of its parts.”

To guide faculty through the lengthy process of applying for a center grant, AtKisson chose an expired solicitation from NSF, Physics Frontiers Centers. “It is a brilliant example of a complex center level proposal that even if you’re very familiar with applications to the NSF, will throw you some curveballs in terms of what they want,” said AtKisson.

She asked the faculty to determine what the NSF requested in the solicitation. “Start with the sponsor’s explicit and implicit requirements, then balance stakeholders, include people with collaboration skills, and consider reward structures,” she said.

“The thing you need most is a shared vision,” said AtKisson. “I cannot emphasize the shared vision enough. If everybody involved isn't on board with why we're doing this, then there are some problems, right? Because teams without a shared mission or vision never really cohere. So they don't really become teams.”

“The plug I’m going to put in here is for your proposal development and research development team at Brown because you have a good one, and they are there to support large proposal development. They know all of the strategies,” said AtKisson. “And having that resource in your pocket makes the whole collaboration much smoother.”

NIH Programs for Early Stage Investigators

In a session for junior faculty, “NIH Programs for Early Stage Investigators,” ATG presenters described how to apply for early career development awards, beginning with taking stock of current skills and knowledge.

“What do you want to be?” asked AtKisson. “What do you need to get there—new skills and knowledge, experience, and mentoring? As early career scientists, you are still kind of cubs. You are changing because you are departing from your mentor and what you did before. And now you can decide, What kind of bear do I want to be?”

The most common NIH awards for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral level trainees are the Research Career Development Awards (K). “Not all K awards are created equal,” said AtKisson. “There are variations on whether or not trials are allowed and who can apply based on career stage. Talk with the program officer to make sure your idea for the project is of interest to your target Institute or Center. They consider the K Awardees as the important rising stars.”

AtKisson explained the components of a K award, including the candidate section, research plan, primary mentor’s statement, letters from collaborators, environment and other resources, and institutional commitment to the candidate.

Choosing a mentor is crucial for early career awards, as they support your project and facilitate your independence. It's important to consider their availability, especially if they are well-known in the field. Most importantly, a mentor must have funding. “K awards come with some research support, but not nearly enough to run a full program,” said AtKisson. “You have to have money to supplement.”

Other early career funding sources include foundations and professional societies, such as the Society for Neuroscience, the American Cancer Society, the Hartwell Foundation, the Doris Duke Foundation, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. “Often they have early career awards to get you started,” said AtKisson. “It gives you some money to get some data.”

In conclusion, the insights gained from the Division of Research workshops not only empower faculty to navigate the complexities of federal funding but also inspire them to cultivate their leadership and mentoring skills, ultimately enhancing their contributions to research and education within their fields.

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The NSF CAREER workshops were sponsored by Brown University Division of Research, Division of Biology and Medicine, School of Public Health, Advance RI-CTR, and Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research.

It’s NSF CAREER season!

The Research Strategy and Development team will offer additional workshops for the NSF CAREER season in April and June.

April 8 12-1pm: Informational Workshop: Developing Broader Impacts for your NSF CAREER Proposal (Virtual)

In this one-hour workshop, hear tips from previous awardees and break into smaller groups to discuss your questions about the Broader Impacts section of your proposal.

Register by March 27

June 16-18: Mock Panel Review of Your NSF CAREER Proposal

Peer faculty reviewers from Brown and Brown Research and Public Impact Working Group members will offer participants feedback about their proposal draft.

Register by April 14; proposals are due to RSD by June 9