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The goal of a Research Statement

The goal of a research statement is to highlight the evolution of your research, to highlight your research accomplishments, and to show where you expect your research to go next. Customize your Research Statement to fit each application. You want to demonstrate how your research could benefit the particular institution to which you are applying. Think of external funding, faculty collaborations, undergraduate/graduate student research, and developing new courses. Although your CV will inform a search committee about where you completed your dissertation research, who your advisors and collaborators have been, and the titles of your various research projects and papers, the department will likely be interested in learning more about the research itself. Want more information?

Content of a Research Statement

The statement can discuss specific issues such as:

• Prior and current research projects
• Relevance of current research—how it contributes to the particular field (distinctiveness/importance etc.)
• Research goals for the next 3-5 year period and potential outcomes
• Enthusiasm about your research
• Collaborations with other scholars as well as your independent work
• Funding Sources—past sources and organizations likely to support your research agenda
• Alternate projects that show the depth and breadth of your interests
• Needs and requirements eg laboratory equipment, space or other resources
• potential for research and industrial collaborations
• how your research will contributes to your field
• the future direction of your research

The research statement should be technical and intelligible to all including those outside your subdiscipline. Maintain a “big picture” and present a readable, compelling, and realistic research agenda that fits well with the needs, facilities, and goals of your target audience. In your statement or research interest please avoid:

• overly ambitious proposals
• lack of clear direction
• lack of big-picture focus
• inadequate attention to the needs and facilities of the department or position

Why prepare a Statement of Research Interest (SRI) or Research Statement (RS)?

• A SRI conveys to search committees the pieces of your professional identity and your scholarly journey.
• It communicates your research history and pathway outlining what you have done and that it is different, important, and innovative.
• It answers the question “Why does your research matter” and combines your achievements and current work with the proposal for upcoming research.
• Helps hiring committees assess:
  • areas of specialty and expertise
  • potential to get funding
  • academic strengths and abilities
  • compatibility with the department or school
  • ability to think and communicate like a serious scholar and/or scientist

Formatting of Research Statements

The goal of the research statement is to introduce yourself to a search committee, address scientists both in and outside your field, and get them excited about your research. Ideally, the SRI should be:

• make it one or two pages, three at most
• use informative section headings and subheadings
• use bullets
• use an easily readable font size
• make the margins a reasonable size

Organization of a Research Statement article

Think of the overarching theme guiding your main research subject area. Write an essay that lays out:

• The main theme(s) why it is important and what specific skills you use to attack the problem.
• A few specific examples of problems you have already solved with success to build credibility and inform people outside your field about what you do.
• A discussion of the future direction of your research. This section should be really exciting to people both in and outside your field. Don’t sell yourself short; if you think your research could lead to answers for big important questions, say so!
• A final paragraph that gives a good overall impression of your research.

Writing Research Statements

Style:

• Avoid jargon. Make sure that you describe your research in a language that many people outside your specific subject area can understand. Ask people both in and outside your field to read it before you send your application. A search committee won’t get excited about something they can’t understand.
• Write as clearly, concisely, and concretely as you can.
• Keep it at a summary level; give more detail in the job talk.
• Ask others to proofread it. Be sure there are no spelling errors.

Content:

• Convince the search committee not only that you are knowledgeable, but that you are the right person to carry out the research.
• Include information that sets you apart (e.g., publication in Science, Nature, or a prestigious journal in your field).
• What excites you about your research? Sound Original and Fresh.
• Include preliminary results and how to build on results.
• Point out how current faculty may become future partners.
• Acknowledge the work of others.
• Use language that shows you are an independent researcher.
• BUT focus on your research work, not yourself.
• Include potential funding partners and industrial collaborations. Be creative!
• Provide a summary of your research.
• Put in background material to give the context/relevance/significance of your research.
• List major findings, outcomes, and implications.
• Describe both current and planned (future) research.
• Communicate a sense that your research will follow logically from what you have done and that it will be unique, significant, and innovative (and easy to fund).

Describe Your Future Goals or Research Plans

• The major problem(s) you want to focus on in your research.
• The problem’s relevance and significance to the field.
• Your specific goals for the next three to five years, including potential impact and outcomes.
• If you know what a particular agency funds, you can name the agency and briefly outline a proposal.
• Give broad enough goals so that if one area doesn’t get funded, you can pursue other research goals and funding.

Identify Potential Funding Sources

• Almost every institution wants to know whether you’ll be able to get external funding for research.
• Try to provide some possible sources of funding for the research, such as NIH, NSF, foundations, and private agencies.
• Mention past funding, if appropriate.

Be Realistic

There is a delicate balance between a realistic research statement where you promise to work on problems you think you can solve and overreaching or dabbling in too many subject areas. Select an overarching theme for your research statement and leave miscellaneous ideas or projects out. Everyone knows that you will work on more than what you mention in this statement.

Consider Also Preparing a Longer Version

• A longer version (five–15 pages) can be brought to your interview. (Check with your advisor to see if this is necessary.)
• You may be asked to describe research plans and budget in detail at the campus interview. Be prepared.
• Include laboratory needs (how much budget you need for equipment, how many grad assistants, etc.) to start up the research.

Why Your Research Statement May be Rejected.

Your PhD/Masters applications may get rejected❌👇😔📚✍️ primarily because

Week Or Irrelevant Research Questions

YOU ARE NOT DISCUSSING “RELEVANT RESEARCH QUESTIONS” IN YOUR APPLICATIONS💁🏻

Let’s understand How to Deal with Research Questions.

• For instance, you are applying to a department/project of your choice and failed to prove that you’re an ideal candidate.
• You need to show how you can specifically contribute to the existing body of research carried out by the faculty professors. Propose research insights drawn from their publications.
  • For example, this “paper” could have led to more refined findings if the authors considered the role of factor X or Y.
  • Or you may suggest how to work on the limitations of the papers by charting out strategy X.
• Discuss the rationale behind your plans.
• It’s not ENOUGH to say that you would like to pursue the “XYZ” line of research unless you give reasons why that might be beneficial to the field.
• To make your research directions enriching, you need to consider the following:
  • What is the state of research & challenges in your domain in general?
  • How does this professor’s paper try to solve those gaps & challenges?
  • How can you make that work even better by proposing solutions/ideas to the limitations?

If you don’t talk about how you can be an asset to their program, you will lose out on so many opportunities despite having the talent!💰✈️

Samples of Research Statements

To find sample research statements with content specific to your discipline, search on the internet for your discipline + “Research Statement.”

• The University of Pennsylvania Sample Research Statement
• Advice on writing a Research Statement (Plan) from the journal Science

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