RESEARCH STATEMENTS
GOALS AND PURPOSE
Many postdoctoral and faculty job postings require a research statement as part of the application materials. An effective research statement allows faculty to envision your research productivity and contributions over the next several years. Expectations for research statements vary across discipline, so it is important to consult with several faculty members in your field.
Departments want to learn more about your:
- Academic focus and interests
- Dedication to research (demonstrated by recent and/or forthcoming publications)
- Compatibility with departmental, school, and/or university research efforts
- Potential to earn grant money
- Ability to operate as a professional scholar, independent of your advisor
- Writing ability
CONTENT
Research statements for current grad students and recent graduates usually discuss the dissertation and/or other major projects from graduate school. Postdocs will have more research projects to describe.
- If you have done several projects, convey the connection among them
- Place your work in a broader context or framework – the big picture
- Discuss how you became interested in your topic and why it continues to interest you
- Answer the “so what?” question. How does your research contribute to the field? Why does your research
- matter? Why is it important?
- Briefly describe any significant recognition your research has received – publications, presentations, grants,
- awards, etc.
- If you discuss projects that you have worked on with a team, be sure to articulate your contribution to the
- projects
- Acknowledge the work of other scholars in your field, when appropriate
Beyond current and past projects, strong research statements also address future research plans with some degree of specificity. Depending on your field you might discuss 2-3 feasible research ideas that interest you.
Additional content might include:
- What are your short-term research goals (2-5 years)?
- What are your longer term research goals (5+ years)?
- Explain how your goals build on (but are not necessarily direct extensions of) your recent work
- Describe your ideas about potential funding sources, collaborative partners, facilities, etc.
- Consider detailing how you will involve students (undergraduate and/or graduate) in your research and how your research relates to your teaching
- Indicate how your research goals align with departmental goals
STYLE & FORMAT
Your research plan should be well-considered, realistic and practical. What is practical at a major research university may not be practical at a small liberal arts college. Include enough detail to show depth of knowledge without going overboard with minutiae. If you include data, make sure that it is clear, easy to read, and cited appropriately.
- 1-3 pages (although longer statements are sometimes appropriate)
- Single or 1.5 spaced
- Concise paragraphs
- Short bulleted lists may be appropriate for your field
- Clear subject headings
- Free from grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors
GETTING STARTED
Contact your home department to determine the norms for research statements in your field. Brainstorm some ideas for content and a preliminary outline. Find sample research statements using a search engine or websites of professional organizations to assess different styles and to determine what works best. Consider customizing / tailoring your research statement for different job opportunities. What information is known about the potential university that might help you customize your materials? When you have written a full draft, have at least one person proofread your research statement (peer, research team member, faculty member, career counselor, etc.).
Check out the following resources to help get you started:
- Faculty Application Research Statement, MIT EECS Communication Lab
- Research Statements, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, Cornell
- Research Statement Template, UCLA (PDF)
- Research Statements for Faculty Job Applications, University of Pennsylvania
WRITING SAMPLES
Some fields may request a sample of your scholarly writing in the job posting. Check with faculty members in your department about how many samples to send if an announcement doesn’t specify length. Examples of samples include: reprints of published articles, copies of book chapters you’ve authored, reprints of articles in press, and completed chapters of your dissertation.
SAMPLE RESEARCH STATEMENTS
Science
- Biology Research Statement Example (PDF)
- Physics Research Statement – UCSB PDF
- Research Statement Workshop Slides -UMich (Powerpoint PDF)
Engineering, Math, & Tech
- Engineering/Tech Research Statement Example – UPenn (PDF)
- Math Research Statement Example – Stanford (PDF)
- Engineering Research Statement Example – UCI (PDF)
- Computer Science Research Statement Example – NYU (PDF)
