Research development training + resources
The KU Research Development team and partners across campus and beyond provide training and resources to help researchers build collaborations, improve grant writing skills, and optimize their chances of securing grants.
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National Science Foundation CAREER Writing Workshop
The NSF CAREER program typically expects to fund 450 proposals from approximately 3,000 applicants. To succeed, proposals must rank in the top 10 to 15 percent.
Want to increase your chances of success? Participate in KU’s 2026 CAREER Writing Workshop.
Brought to you by the KU Office of Research and the KU School of Journalism & Mass Communications, the program will provide strategies and tips for writing competitive CAREER proposals from CAREER Award winners and former NSF program officers, highlight potential educational-plan partners at KU, and explore the use of advanced writing techniques and partner review for enhancing proposal clarity and persuasiveness.
CAREER Writing Workshop details
Crafting a competitive CAREER proposal requires dedication, skill and nuance. You’ll be competing against your peers, a group that’s already succeeded through many years of rigorous selection. In this context, a solid research plan is necessary, but not sufficient.
Successful CAREER awards integrate research and education plans and demonstrate excellence in both: They’re expected to present a career-development plan, not merely a research proposal. While no amount of grantsmanship can rescue a weak concept, clear and compelling presentation can propel an innovative and well-balanced plan across the funding line. In this workshop, we will provide strategies and tips for writing competitive CAREER proposals from CAREER Award winners and former NSF program officers, highlight potential educational-plan partners at KU, and explore the use of advanced writing techniques and partner review for enhancing proposal clarity and persuasiveness.
Workshop format
The workshop consists of two parts: seminars and the workshop cohort. Seminars are sessions open to anyone interested in applying for a CAREER grant; they cover all aspects of the CAREER process. The workshop cohort is an intensive, peer-centered set of meetings intended to help participants refine and polish all aspects of their CAREER proposals.
Participants in the cohort will get detailed review and specific feedback according to a strict timeline; as such, the cohort is limited to 15 participants who must be KU faculty (any campus).
| Date | Event | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, Sept. 29 | Cohort due date: Cohort application materials, time slot availability form, CV, and 1-page CAREER summary to Doug at dbornemann@ku.edu. | NA |
| Week of Oct. 6 | Cohort meeting: Cohort interviews and meet & greet | In person |
| Week of Oct. 13 | Fall break (no activities) | NA |
| Friday, Oct. 17 | Cohort meeting: Cohort Interviews/Meet & Greet 10 – 11:30 a.m. | Executive Conference Room, KU Innovation Park KU-Lawrence Campus (free parking) | In person |
| Tuesday, Oct. 21 | Seminar | CAREER Overview + Strategy Tips
| Virtual |
| Tuesday, Oct. 28 | Seminar | Insider Perspectives: Program Officer Panel
| Virtual |
| Friday, Nov. 7 | Seminar | Incorporating Educational Activities into Grant Proposals
| In person |
| Tuesday, Nov. 11 | Seminar | Basic Grant Writing
| Virtual |
| Dec. 13 – Jan. 19 | Winter break (cohort: continue drafting proposals) | NA |
| Monday, Feb. 2 | Seminar | Simply Engaging: Crafting Clear, Concise Prose
Cohort: Begin revising summary pages based on seminar tips | Virtual |
| Week of Feb. 9 | Seminar |Previous CAREER Winners Panel Discussion Details TBA | Virtual |
| Friday, Feb. 20 | Cohort due date: Self-edited summary pages due to Doug. Doug, Lisa and Karen edit the revised summary pages. | NA |
| Monday, March 2 | Cohort: Summary-page edits returned. Cohort reviews/incorporates feedback and readies summary pages for read-and-critique roundtables. | NA |
| Tuesday, March 10 (Cohort 1) Friday, March 13 (Cohort 2) | Cohort meeting: Summary Read-and-Critique Roundtable #1 | 11 a.m. – noon Cohort: Begin preparing presentations for full-proposal roundtables. | Virtual |
| March 16 – 22 | Spring break | |
| Tuesday, March 24 (Cohort 1) Friday, March 27 (Cohort 2) | Cohort meeting: Summary Read-and-Critique Roundtable #2(if necessary) | 11 a.m. – noon Cohort: Continue preparing presentations for full-proposal roundtables. | TBD |
| Tuesday, March 31 (Cohort 1) Friday, April 3 (Cohort 2) | Cohort meeting:Full-Proposal Presentation and Roundtable #1 | 11 a.m. – noon Cohort members present research and educational plans to the group, get constructive feedback. (10-minute presentation followed by 10-15 minutes of live discussion, 2-3 presenters per session). Cohort assignment: Continue preparing full-narrative drafts for week of April 20 deadline, incorporating roundtable feedback | TBD |
| Tuesday, April 7 (Cohort 1) Friday, April 10 (Cohort 2) | Cohort meeting: Full-Proposal Presentation and Roundtable #2 | 11 a.m. – noon | TBD |
| Tuesday, April 14 (Cohort 1) Friday, April 17 (Cohort 2) | Cohort meeting: Full-Proposal Presentation and Roundtable #3 | 11 a.m. – noon | TBD |
| Tuesday, April 21 (Cohort 1) Friday, April 24 (Cohort 2) | Cohort meeting: Full-Proposal Presentation and Roundtable #4 (if necessary) | 11 a.m. – noon | TBD |
| Thursday, May 7 | Seminar | Incorporating Proposal Feedback
| Virtual |
| Friday, May 8 | Cohort due date: Full-proposal drafts due to Doug for partner full-proposal exchange. Doug, Lisa and Karen will distribute to a cohort partner. | NA |
| Week of May 11 | Cohort: Exchange partners work on edits/comments | NA |
| Monday, May 18 | Cohort due date: Partner critiques due to Doug for distribution back to authors | NA |
| Tuesday, May 26 (Cohort 1) Friday, May 29 (Cohort 2) | Workshop wrap-up | 11 a.m. – noon Workshop review (discussion of what worked and what didn’t) | Virtual |
| May-July | Cohort: Optional Doug/Lisa/Karen proposal edit PEER Review: Submit proposals to external subject-matter expert for specialist feedback using KUOR PEER mechanism. Revise and polish for final submission. | NA |
| July | Submit proposals to NSF! |
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. 29, 2025:
- Completed time slot availability form (.docx)
- Current CV/biosketch
- 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.
National Institutes of Health Writing Workshop
Are you a biomedical investigator at the University of Kansas looking to expand or enhance your research funding portfolio with the National Institutes of Health? Have you considered pursuing NIH funding but struggled to identify which opportunity is right for your research? Increase your chances of success by participating in KU's 2026 NIH Writing Workshop.
Brought to you by the KU Office of Research and the KU School of Journalism & Mass Communications, the workshop will provide strategies and tips for writing competitive proposals from experienced NIH-funded investigators and explore the use of advanced writing techniques and partner review for enhancing proposal clarity and persuasiveness.
NIH Writing Workshop details
Participants will learn from past KU NIH winners who will present strategies that focus for each part of the application to ensure competitiveness. The workshop also will include presentations from experts that focus on basic grant writing skills. Guided discussions and exercises — including partner review for enhancing proposal clarity and persuasiveness — will help participants draft the most 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).
| Date | Event | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, Sept. 29 | Cohort due date: Cohort application materials, time slot availability form, CV, and 1-page draft aims or MIRA first page to Doug at dbornemann@ku.edu. | NA |
| Week of Oct. 13 | Fall break (no activities) | NA |
| Tuesday Oct. 21, 10-11:30 | Cohort meeting: Cohort Interviews/Meet and Greet. Venue: Chamber Room, Innovation Park (Free Parking). | In person |
| Tuesday, Oct. 28 | Seminar | Learn Strategies to Be More Competitive at the NIH Alix Norris, Tn Consulting | Virtual |
| Tuesday, Nov. 4 | Seminar | Competitive Subsidiary Documents
| Virtual |
| Tuesday, Nov. 11 | Seminar | Basic Grant Writing
| Virtual |
| Dec. 13 – Jan. 19 | Winter break (cohort: continue drafting proposals) | NA |
| Monday, Feb. 2 | Seminar | Simply Engaging: Crafting Clear, Concise Prose
Cohort Assignment #1: Revise first page (MIRA) or specific aims (other mechanisms) based on seminar tips | Virtual |
| Tuesday, Feb. 10 | Panel Discussion: The Secrets of Our Success
| Virtual |
| Friday, Feb. 27 | Cohort due date: Self-edited summary pages due to Doug. Doug, Lisa and Karen edit revised summary pages. | NA |
| Monday, March 9 | Cohort: Summary-page edits returned. Cohort reviews/incorporates feedback and readies summary pages for read-and-critique roundtables. | |
| March 16 – 22 | Spring break (no activities) | |
| Cohort 1: Mar. 23 Cohort 2: Mar. 26 | Cohort meeting: Summary Read-and-Critique Roundtable #1 Cohort Assignment #2: Craft and record 10-minute PowerPoint presentation of research strategy to be presented during proposal roundtables. | TBD |
| Cohort 1: Mar. 30 Cohort 2: Apr. 2 | Cohort meeting: Summary Read-and-Critique Roundtable #2 Cohort: Continue preparing presentations for full-proposal roundtables. | TBD |
| Cohort 1: April 6 Cohort 2: April 9 | Cohort meeting:Full-Proposal Presentation and Roundtable #1 1 - 2 p.m. (cohort 1) | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. (cohort 2) Cohort members present research and educational plans to the group, get constructive feedback. (10-minute presentation followed by 10-15 minutes of live discussion, 2-3 presenters per session). Cohort Assignment #3: Continue drafting full Project Description (incorporating Round-Table feedback) | TBD |
| Cohort 1: Apr. 13 Cohort 2: Apr. 16 | Cohort meeting: Full-Proposal Presentation and Roundtable #2 1 - 2 p.m. (cohort 1) | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. (cohort 2) | TBD |
| Cohort 1: April 20 Cohort 2: April 23 | Cohort meeting: Full-Proposal Presentation and Roundtable #3 Cohort Assignment #4: Submit name of potential PEER reviewer to Doug | TBD |
| Cohort 1: Apr. 27 Cohort 2: Apr. 30 | Cohort meeting: Full-Proposal Presentation and Roundtable #4 (if necessary) 1 - 2 p.m. (cohort 1) | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. (cohort 2) | TBD |
| Thursday May 7 | Seminar | Incorporating Proposal Feedback
| Virtual |
| Friday, May 8 | Cohort due date: Full-proposal drafts due to Doug for partner full-proposal exchange. Doug, Lisa and Karen will distribute to a cohort partner. | |
| Week of May 11 | Cohort: Exchange partners work on edits/comments | NA |
| Monday, May 18 | Cohort due date: Partner critiques due to Doug for distribution back to authors | NA |
| Cohort 1: May 25 Cohort 2: May 28 | Workshop wrap-up: Workshop review (discussion of what worked and what didn’t) 1 - 2 p.m. (cohort 1) | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. (cohort 2) | Zoom |
| May-July | Cohort: Optional Doug/Lisa/Karen proposal edit and PEER Review. Submit proposals to external subject-matter expert for specialist feedback using KUOR PEER mechanism. Revise and polish for final submission. | NA |
| July | Submit proposals to NIH! |
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. 29, 2025:
- Completed time slot availability form (.docx)
- Current CV/biosketch
- 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.