Two College of Engineering faculty received CAREER awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the 2022-23 academic year. Institutional support in the form of a new CAREER Club, as well as increases in the agency’s budget, are helping to support successful proposals to the prestigious program.

“The funding climate for NSF proposals is very positive right now,” said Aaron Kline, director of the research development office. “In FY22, the overall funding rate for NSF was 28% across all directorates.” The National Science Foundation’s budget increased by 12% to $9.87 billion for fiscal year 2023.

In November, Casey Harwood, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, received an NSF CAREER award that will support his investigation of the interactions between built structures and fluids such as air and water. In February, Xuan Song, assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering, was awarded a CAREER grant to study the use of water-based ink to fuse ceramic particles in the 3D printing process.

Both faculty participated in the Research Development Office’s NSF CAREER Club, which is designed to connect faculty with resources to craft competitive applications. Club participants have access to a variety of services that include editing, graphic design, and proposal review.

Faculty members who are interested in learning more about NSF CAREER awards are invited to attend a virtual panel discussion and Q&A session with current awardees, on April 14, noon to 1 p.m.

Panelists include: Kristan Worthington, assistant professor, biomedical engineering; Casey Harwood, assistant professor, mechanical engineering; and Allison Jaynes, associate professor, physics and astronomy.

Questions about the NSF CAREER Club can be directed to vpr-rdo@uiowa.edu.