Template, NSF CAREER Departmental Letter of Commitment

1. Addressed to: National Science Foundation; i.e. Review Panel / CAREER Program Director / To Whom It May Concern

2. No more than 2 pages in length, on institutional letterhead, and include the chair/department head's name and title below their signature.

3. The Institutional Letter of Commitment should address the following items taken from the CAREER Program Solicitation: a. An indication that the PI's proposed CAREER research and education activities are supported by and integrated into the educational and research goals of the department and the organization, and that the department is committed to the support and professional development of the PI; b. A description of: • a) the relationship between the CAREER project, the PI's career goals and job responsibilities, and the goals of his/her department/organization, and • b) the ways in which the department head (or equivalent) will ensure the appropriate mentoring of the PI, in the context of the PI's career development and his/her efforts to integrate research and education throughout the period of the award and beyond; and c. A statement to the effect that the PI is eligible for the CAREER program

4. The body of the letter should be constructed using the following formatting: a. Typefaces identified below: • Arial 9, Courier New, or Palatino Linotype at a font size of 10 points or larger; • Times New Roman at a font size of 11 points or larger; or • Computer Modern family of fonts at a font size of 11 points or larger.

Example: Review Panel, CAREER Award ( or CAREER Program Director) National Science Foundation State your Directorate 4201 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22230

Dear Review Panel / CAREER Program Director / To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to express the strong commitment of The School of Engineering on behalf of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Professor XX, to the integration of research, education and outreach activities proposed in this application titled XX. Dr MM has been with the department of Mechanical Engineering at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey since 2015 as an Assistant Professor, tenure track appointment. He meets the eligibility requirements of the CAREER program. His/her expertise is in the XX category.

Describe the nature of your research in 1-2 paragraphs.

Detail the type of work that is proposed in the application, 1-2 paragraphs in length. Describe, in concrete terms, the proposed CAREER research and education activities of the project and how it will be supported by and integrated into the educational and research goals of the department and the organization. Provide additional information that would highlight your accomplishments such as; awards received, community involvement, presentations given at High Schools, lectures to undergraduate students, and any other accomplishments that you would like to share.

Describe how the research from this grant will be used to develop the PIs career goals and how it relates to his/her job responsibilities and the goals of his/her department/organization. Detail the department’s support/commitment to Dr. MMs proposed project [Institutional resources committed to the project can be included here, remembering not to violate NSFs cost share policy]. The department will provide; sufficient space to carry out the proposed work, access to administrative assistance, machine shop time, access to equipment etc. Next, discuss how the department will provide mentorship, guidance and direction for the professional development in both research and education of the applicant/PI throughout the period of the award and beyond.

Chair/departments signature

Chair/department name and title