Research development training + resources

Eligibility

All graduating seniors (expected graduation December 2026 – August 2027), graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are eligible to participate.

• Deadline to apply for workshop cohort: June 22

• Applicants notified of selection: July 10

• Workshop series and cohort meetings: July 20 – Nov. 6 (exact dates/times TBD)

How to apply

Application deadline: Monday, June 22 

Fellowship applicants from KU Lawrence and KU Medical Center may request a spot in the workshop cohort via the online application form by June 22. The application requires uploading a one-page project summary (see examples below) and a resume or CV. Do not include any information that is proprietary, confidential, or a description of past accomplishments in these materials. 

• Guidelines for NSF project summary 

• Guidelines for NIH project summary

Attendance

By accepting a cohort position, you are committing to completing the drafting, editing, participation and reviewing elements of the workshop in a timely fashion. These activities will require significant effort beyond the scheduled meeting times. While missing a meeting or two can be accommodated, you’ll still be expected to comply with the proposal drafting, editorial and evaluation due dates.

If you doubt you can commit the time required for cohort participation but would still like to participate, consider attending the workshop’s seminarswithout joining the cohort. Seminars are open to everyone and require no application or outside time commitment.

NSF CAREER-eligible applicants employed by any campus of the University of Kansas can request a spot in the workshop cohort by emailing the following documents to Doug Bornemann at dbornemann@ku.edu no later than Monday, Sept. 21, 2026:

1. Completed time slot availability form (.docx)
2. Current CV/biosketch
3. 1-page CAREER summary prepared in Microsoft Word according to the content and formatting requirements specified in the most current NSF CAREER solicitation and NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). The summary should contain a project overview and a description of the project’s intellectual merits and broader impacts, as detailed in the PAPPG. If more than 15 applications are received, the submitted summary pages may influence applicant selection. These summary pages will receive detailed feedback during the workshop.

CAREER eligibility

Proposers must meet all of the following eligibility requirements as of the annual deadline:

• Hold a doctoral degree in a field supported by NSF.
• Be engaged in research in an area of science, engineering or education supported by NSF.
• Hold at least a 50% tenure-track (or tenure-track-equivalent) position as an assistant professor (or equivalent title).
• Be untenured.
• Have not previously received a CAREER award (prior or concurrent federal support for other types of awards for non-duplicative research does not preclude eligibility).

See the most current NSF CAREER solicitation for additional eligibility details.

Attendance

By accepting a cohort position, you are committing to completing the drafting, editing and reviewing elements of the workshop in a timely fashion. These activities will require significant effort beyond the scheduled meeting times. While missing a meeting or two can be accommodated, you’ll still be expected to comply with the proposal drafting, editorial and evaluation due dates. 

If you doubt you can commit the time required for cohort participation but would still like to participate, consider attending the seminars. Seminars are open to everyone and require no application or outside time commitment.

Participants will learn from the KU Proposal Enhancement team, School of Journalism editors, and past NIH winners who will present strategies to bolster basic grant-writing skills and proposal competitiveness. Guided discussions and exercises — including personalized aims-page feedback and cohort partner full-proposal review — will help participants draft clear, compelling proposals.

Workshop format

The workshop consists of two parts: seminars and workshop cohort meetings. Seminars are open to the entire KU community. The workshop cohort is open to investigators interested in applying for any NIH funding mechanism and features intensive, peer-centered meetings intended to help participants refine and polish all aspects of their NIH proposals. Cohort participants will get detailed review and specific feedback according to a strict timeline. 

The cohort will be limited to 15 applicants who must be KU faculty (any campus).

Applicants employed by any campus of the University of Kansas can request a spot in the workshop cohort by emailing the following documents to Doug Bornemann at dbornemann@ku.edu no later than Monday, Sept. 21, 2026:

1. Completed time slot availability form (.docx)
2. Current CV/biosketch
3. Draft aims page (or first proposal page for a MIRA) prepared in Microsoft Word according to the content and formatting requirements specified in the most current SF424 directions. If more than 15 applications are received, the submitted pages may influence applicant selection. These pages will receive detailed feedback during the workshop.

Attendance

By accepting a cohort position, you are committing to completing the drafting, editing and reviewing elements of the workshop in a timely fashion. These activities will require significant effort beyond the scheduled meeting times. While missing a meeting or two can be accommodated, you’ll still be expected to comply with the proposal drafting, editorial and evaluation due dates. 

If you doubt you can commit the time required for cohort participation but would still like to participate, consider attending the seminars. Seminars are open to everyone and require no application or outside time commitment.