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Re-entry to Active Research Program

U.S. National Science Foundation · Opportunity 20-586

Who can apply

• Others

*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: -Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus. *Who May Serve as PI: Investigators must contact a RARE program director in CBET or CHEto confirm eligibility prior to submission, depending upon which division the PI will apply to. The investigator will receive an e-mail confirmation of eligibility, which must be uploaded as a Single Copy document with the proposal submission. The investigator must hold a PhD in engineering, chemistryor a closely related discipline, with prior research experiences in an area within the scope of the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems or Division of Chemistry. Application to the RARE program is not limited by demographics. Tenured or tenure-track faculty may apply. Adjunct, affiliated, research, or teaching faculty may apply if they are employed either full or part-time by an institution of higher education (IHE), provided they have a plan to seek future employment on the tenure-track. Other qualified individuals who lackIHE affiliation may apply, provided they have identified a senior research mentor at an IHE; in this select case, the mentor may serve as PI(see ‘Additional Eligibility’ information below). Investigators that have previously received a Track 1 RARE award are ineligible for a second award of either tr

About this opportunity

The Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET) and the Division of Chemistry (CHE) are conducting a Re-entry to Active Research (RARE) program to reengage, retrain, and broaden participation within the academic workforce. The primary objective of the RARE program is to catalyze the advancement along the academic tenure-track of highly meritorious individuals who are returning from a hiatus from active research. By providing re-entry points to active academic research, the RARE program will reinvest in the nation’s most highly trained scientists and engineers, while broadening participation and increasing diversity of experience. A RARE research proposal must describe potentially transformative research that falls within the scope of participating CBET or CHEprograms. The RARE program includes two Tracks to catalyze the advancement of investigators along the academic tenure system after a research hiatus, either to a tenure-track position or to a higher-tenured academic rank. Track 1 of the RARE program reengages investigators in a competitive funding opportunity with accommodations for gap in record that are a result of the research hiatus. A Track 1 proposal will follow the budgetary guidelines of the relevant CBET program for an unsolicited research proposal or the relevant CHE Disciplinary Research program. Track 2 retrains investigators for whom the research hiatus has led to the need for new or updated techniques, such that retraining is required to return the investigator to competitive research activity. A description of how these new techniques will lead to competitive research in CBET or CHE programs is required. A Track 2 proposal budget will include only funds necessary for specific retraining activities, such as travel to a workshop or conference, workshop registration fees, a retraining sabbatical, or seed funding to support collection of preliminary data (including salary support, equipment usage fees, materials, and/or supplies). General inquiries regarding this program should be made to: RAREquestions@NSF.GOV or a RARE Program Officer listed below.

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