Summer is a good time to discuss early-career awards. While the 2025 NSF CAREER deadline is unchanged, we’ve heard that these awards could be impacted by the upheaval at NSF -- just like other NSF programs and initiatives that are at risk of significant budget reductions. Despite this, recent guidance from NSF program directors has remained consistent: Submit your CAREER proposals “as normal” – as if these times were normal!

Other news on the early-career award front came this week in the form of ONR and AFOSR Young Investigator Program (YIP) announcements posting to grants.gov. YIPs, along with the Early Career Program (ECP) at ARO, are very prestigious.

The ARO ECP is incorporated into ARO’s core programs since its funding comes from the program manager's core program budget. While it has no hard deadline, the schedule for an ECP proposal is something you need to get from the program manager who can advise you on current timelines, their budget and program dynamics.

For the YIPs at ONR and AFOSR, deadlines have been announced and are fast approaching:

For ONR, which awards $750k over three years, the deadline for questions is 25 July, and the deadline for proposals is 01 August.

For AFOSR, which awards $450k over three years, the deadline for questions is 04 July, the deadline for white papers is 25 July, and the deadline for proposals is 19 September.

A few points to keep in mind in relation to ONR/AFOSR YIPs:

• A strong proposal for YIP will be a big effort, just like an NSF CAREER proposal;

• These awards recognize and support the applicant, not just the proposed research. Beyond a well-written research plan, you must describe yourself persuasively;

• You should have been in touch with a program officer and been encouraged to submit;

• You’ll need a “chair letter,” something you should devote a lot of effort to. We have a template for one that you can purchase for a modest fee ($20) that helps us pay for the hosting of it and similar resources, including our free DOD funding course.

• Your proposal must be polished, reflecting professional editing. Nothing about it can appear rushed.

If you are not confident that you’ll have a strong proposal, including having received encouragement from the program officer, my advice is to not submit. A proposal that doesn’t meet all of the criteria above will not be a good use of your time. You’ll be better served doing something else, such as time away from work for rest and relaxation.

However, if you are interested in support for a YIP, Wise Investigator can help. If you send me an email, I’ll do a Zoom with you and share my perspective on your chances of producing a winning proposal. I may advise you not to submit. But if we determine you are in a strong position, we can discuss how we can support that process. Past Wise Investigator clients have been successful winning these awards.

In closing, if you're interested in this you must act quickly by reaching out to program officers and starting to assemble the pieces. Watch the video linked below for more, and email me ([email protected]) this week if you'd like to discuss support for YIPs or other early-career proposals.

More on DOD early-career awards programs

If you are considering applying for the YIP, you will want to watch this video for valuable perspective from a former program manager who recommended these awards for funding and someone who has supported clients in winning these awards since then.

When you are ready, here’s how we can help

Need to get your research funded, this year? Check out our 12-week program to get you there.

Check out our storefront where you can access our free Unlocking DOD Funding for University Researchers course and other resources, including for faculty applicants.

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