Transcript Slide 1

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
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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 8/2005
Theme:
structure-processing-property relationships
Means 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 OBJECTIVE
Research & Education
WRITE ACTION PLAN
Discussions w/ PM’s
Where to Submit / What to Include
Quotes/Estimates
Collab. Letters
Literature Search
Preliminary Data
Who Will Help Read/Advise
ITERATE (MANY TIMES)
DRAFT PROPOSAL
Project Description
Project Summary
All Other Elements
HAVE OTHERS READ
At least 1 nontechnical person
Someone in your field
Someone not in your field
Someone who approaches things like
you do
Someone who approaches things
very differently
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
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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 FORMAT
THE FIRST SENTENCE OF THE PROPOSAL IS YOUR CLEARLY STATED
OBJECTIVE
March to May 2007 – THINKING, TALKING
EMAILING…..
CAREER 1
MADE SENSE TO ME
Inorganic Nanocylinder
LC Assembly and Flow
Alignment
Fundamental Rheology
SWNT(traditional)
Polymer
Nanocomposites
CAREER 2
MORE OBVIOUS COHESION MADE
SCOPE SEEM MORE REASONABLE
Inorganic
Nanocylinders in
Organic Solvents
SWNTs in DNA/Enzyme
Dispersions
Inorganic Nanocylinders
in Enzyme Dispersions
TO FD 2008
1 Yr Funding
TO MPM
Still 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-processingproperty
• 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
should be able to integrate your education plans
into 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
LESSON 2: BALANCE IS KEY
• 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”
LESSON 2: BALANCE IS KEY
• Scope: Too narrow vs. too broad
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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
LESSON 2: BALANCE IS KEY
• Letters of collaboration
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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
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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….
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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