Conference: Chemistry Early Career Investigator Workshop

Faculty beginning their independent careers often find the process of writing their first grant proposals to be challenging. Community faculty leaders Davita Watkins of the Ohio State University and Sarah Tasker of Franklin & Marshall College are organizing a workshop that seeks to provide new chemistry faculty insight into the proposal writing and reviewing process so that they can identify and develop strong research, education, and outreach activities. Participants will have the opportunity to network with each other as well as successful grant recipients and federal program officers from a variety of agencies. The participants will engage in mock panels, research presentations, and other activities designed to provide them with a better understanding of how to put together a research plan that is ambitious, yet realistic and compelling. Broader impact criteria are also discussed in terms of educational activities, outreach, and technical applications to societal problems. The 2026 Chemistry Early Career Investigator Workshop, supported by the Division of Chemistry is planned for Spring 2026 in Alexandria, Virginia. This workshop will bring together up to 100 junior faculty from a broad range of institutions and scientific backgrounds to discuss steps in strategically crafting research ideas, planning educational and outreach activities, and assessing and evaluating project aims. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.