perspectives on a successful career proposal

PERSPECTIVES ON A SUCCESSFUL CAREER PROPOSAL

Virginia A. Davis, Ph.D.

Department of Chemical Engineering

NSF CMMI CAREER WORKSHOP

MARCH 2010

BIOGRAPHY: DR. VIRGINIA A. DAVIS

• BSE, Chemical Engineering, Tulane University 1990• Shell Chemicals (1990 – 2001):

– Polypropylene and Polyesters– New Orleans, LA, Akron, OH, Brussels, Belgium, Houston, TX– Manufacturing, Technical Service, R&D, Global Marketing Manager– Applications

• Baby diapers, carpet fibers, soft drink bottles, pharmaceutical bottles, plastic beer bottles

• MSE, Chemical Engineering, Tulane University 1993 (part-time)• Resigned from Industry in May 2001 and went to Grad School• Defended Ph.D. in July 2005

– Advisors: Matteo Pasquali and Richard E. Smalley – Liquid Crystals & Pure Fibers of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

• Potential applications: Space elevator, quantum wires, anti-ballastic clothing

• Joined Auburn’s Chemical Engineering Faculty 8/2005Theme:

structure-processing-property relationshipsMeans different things to different people

DISCLAIMER

This talk is based on my personal experiences and reflect only my own opinion

There are no 100% certain ways to get a CAREER

MY CAREER STORY

• Did not apply at the end of my first year – it would have been a waste of everyone’s time

• Applied at end of 2nd year for dual consideration form CBET Fluid Dynamics and CMMI Nanomanufacturing– Decided after detailed discussion with PM’s over ~ 2

months– Knew it was “CAREER suicide”– Knew funding on 1st submission unlikely, so thought getting

double the reviews would help with the second submission– But – no clear trend except everyone was negative about

one of part of the research

• Second submission funded by MPM

SUGGESTED SIMPLIFIED FLOW DIAGRAM

THINK & DISCUSS

DRAFT OBJECTIVEResearch & Education

WRITE ACTION PLANDiscussions w/ PM’s

Where to Submit / What to IncludeQuotes/Estimates

Collab. LettersLiterature SearchPreliminary Data

Who Will Help Read/Advise

ITERATE (MANY TIMES)

HAVE OTHERS READAt least 1 nontechnical person

Someone in your fieldSomeone not in your field

Someone who approaches things like you do

Someone who approaches things very differently

DRAFT PROPOSALProject DescriptionProject Summary All Other Elements

LESSON 1: YOU NEED A VISION

• Before you can begin to write you need to know what “YOU” are all about

• A great research idea is not enough

• You must have a vision not only for your research, but how you will integrate it into education and have a “broad impact”

THIS IS ABOUT YOU

• What do you want to do for the next 5-10 Years?• What do you want to be known for?• Why is your research AND educational work interesting?• Why are you the right person to do it?• It really helps to make it personal - why do you want to do

what you want to do?

Answering these questions is important for making smart decisions over the next few years, not just writing a proposal

THE CAREER IS YOUR VISION STATEMENT COMPILED IN NSF FORMATTHE FIRST SENTENCE OF THE PROPOSAL IS YOUR CLEARLY STATED

OBJECTIVE

March to May 2007 – THINKING, TALKING EMAILING…..

SWNT-(traditional)

Polymer Nanocomposites

Fundamental Rheology

Inorganic Nanocylinder LC Assembly and Flow

Alignment

CAREER 1MADE SENSE TO ME

CAREER 2MORE OBVIOUS COHESION MADE SCOPE SEEM MORE REASONABLE

Inorganic Nanocylinders in Organic Solvents

Inorganic Nanocylinders in Enzyme Dispersions

SWNTs in DNA/Enzyme Dispersions

TO FD 2008 1 Yr Funding

TO MPMStill not funded!

KEY DIFFERENCES 1ST AND 2ND SUBMISSION• After research objective, stated what hypotheses I would test• Stated related educational objectives• Better defined what I meant by structure-processing-property• Focused proposal

– Did not include everything I want to do– Took out rheology not clearly related to self-assembly & flow alignment– Replaced a “not hot” topic that some felt was not clearly related with a

“hot” one that was very clearly related

• Discussed educational & broader impacts activities throughout proposal

• References on education and broader impact • Better stronger letters• Added international component

LESSON 2: BALANCE IS KEY

• Space Allocation (15 pages) – Intellectual Merit, education, broader impacts– ““Integrated research and education” means you Integrated research and education” means you

should be able to integrate your education plans should be able to integrate your education plans into the research descriptioninto the research description

– Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts • Should be throughout the Proposal• Should ALSO be summarized in separate sections • Make it easy for the reviewer to write the review!

– No limit on references – reference a broad time period and range of researchers

– Budget justification page limit – make the most of it– Facilities & Equipment – make the most of it


• Priorities and timing – No one will believe you want to (or can) do it all– However, you want to hit as many criteria as possible– Many panelists want a GANTT chart - it needs to

believable and readily understandable

• The “Hot” factor – cool versus boring– Do not write about something just because it is “HOT”

• The reviewers will know if you are not knowledgeable or passionate about it.

– Do not avoid writing about something you can have a significant impact on just because you perceive because people have lost interest in the subject

• However, some topics require very careful writing to overcome preconceptions that it has “all been done already”


• Scope: Too narrow vs. too broad– Applies to all aspects of proposal– Make it clear how activities are related– Make timing and priorities clear– YOUR CAREER IS NOT ALL YOUR RESEARCH– Can you really do everything you say in five years???

• Novelty: not ambitious vs. totally nuts– If you can find numerous references you need to be

very clear why what you want to do is different– If you can’t find any references you need to be very

clear why you think what you want to do is feasible / interesting


• Letters of collaboration– Some but not too many

– Positive without being fluffy

– Read most recent announcement carefully

– Cultivate people to write “real letters of collaboration” letters 6 months 1 year in advance

– Talk to PM, and sponsored programs well in advance about what is /is not appropriate/how many is too many

– Need to provide documentation that you have more than just ideas

– Do not make it sound like you are incapable of doing anything on your own

LESSON 3: BROADER IMPACTS MATTER

• Not “Fluff”• Not to be written at the last minute• Not a standard statement put in every proposal• Need to be committed to whatever you say!• Why do YOU want to do outreach, mentor undergrads,

improve diversity, and/or work internationally?• Be VERY clear about

– Your / your institution’s track record– What you will do different in this proposal from what you / your

institution are already doing

LESSON 3: BROADER IMPACTS MATTER

• Neither education or broader impacts can just be stuck on the end of the proposal

• Include how education / outreach / undergraduate research will be assessed

• Include references – Why do international research opportunities matter– What is the relationship between undergraduate research and

minority retention and advancement in STEM– What does the engineering education literature say about what

you want to do (active learning, outreach etc)– Be careful how you handle diversity

LESSON 4:

LIFE HAPPENS

OR

WHY I ALMOST DIDN’T SUBMIT MY FIRST (OR SECOND) CAREER

PROPOSALS

LIFE HAPPENS….

• Whether or not you are married• Whether or not you have children• No matter who you are• No matter what you have planned• Be realistic about the time required for writing a

CAREER • Be adaptable• Know when/where/how to get help• Remember that inspiration can happen under terrible

circumstances, and be grateful if it does

CONCLUSIONS

• Thinking and planning are critical• You have taken the first step• Before you get back to campus make an action plan for

everything you need to do between now and July• Contingency planning

GOOD LUCK!

QUESTIONS

Dr. Virginia A. Davis

Department of Chemical Engineering

[email protected]

(334) 844-2060

Carbon Nanotube Dispersion Imaged by Cytoviva Microscope

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