NSF Mid-Career Advancement (MCA)
FAS/SEAS/OSP Deadline: January 31, 2022
Sponsor Deadline: February 7, 2022
Award Amount: varies by discipline; full guidelines are described in the solicitation

Through the Mid-Career Advancement (MCA) program, the NSF is seeking proposals from mid-career scientists at the Associate Professor rank (or equivalent) who wish to substantively advance their research program and career trajectory. A primary objective of the MCA is to ensure that scientists and engineers remain engaged and active in cutting-edge research at a critical career stage replete with constraints on time that can impinge on research productivity, retention, and career advancement. Thus, by (re)-investing in mid-career researchers, NSF hopes to enable a more diverse scientific workforce (more women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities) at high academic ranks. The MCA provides protected time and resources to enable advancements in creativity and productivity. Projects that envision new insights on existing problems or identify new but related problems previously inaccessible without new methodology or expertise from other fields are encouraged, but not required. The MCA fosters innovation by supporting synergistic and mutually beneficial partnerships to catalyze convergence across different disciplines or sub-disciplines.

PIs must be a) at the Associate Professor rank (or equivalent), and b) at that rank for at least 3 years by the proposal submission date. A key component of a successful MCA will be the demonstration that the PI's current research program could substantively benefit from the protected time, mentored partnership(s), and resources provided through this special program, such that there is a substantial enhancement to the PI's research and career trajectory, enabling scientific and academic advancement not likely without this support.