A research statement that lists interesting projects reads as a set of options. Committees are looking for something else: a trajectory they can imagine funding and supporting for ten years.
What it must show
- A coherent question or theme connecting the work.
- What you have already done, briefly.
- A first project that is concrete and clearly feasible.
- Where the funding for it would come from.
- Independence from your previous supervisor.
The independence question
- Committees check this carefully for new researchers.
- State explicitly what is yours and how it differs from your training.
- Continuing your thesis unchanged is the weakest signal you can send.
The first project
- Specific enough to start in the first month.
- Feasible with the resources the position offers.
- Producing a publishable result within a reasonable time.
- Vagueness here reads as not having thought it through.
Structure and length
- Two to four pages depending on the system.
- Headings so a tired reader can navigate it.
- The first paragraph must state the theme.
Fit with the department
- Name colleagues you could work with, and say on what.
- Mention shared facilities or resources you would use.
- Generic statements suggest you sent the same one everywhere.
One thing worth remembering
Show a direction independent of your supervisor.
It is what committees look for hardest in a new researcher, because they are not hiring for one project — they are deciding whether you will still have a programme of your own in a decade.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
What are committees looking for?
A trajectory they can imagine funding and supporting for ten years, not a list of interesting projects.
What must the statement show?
A coherent theme, what you have already done, a concrete feasible first project, where funding would come from, and independence from your previous supervisor.
Why does independence matter?
Committees check it carefully for new researchers, and continuing your thesis unchanged is the weakest signal you can send.
What should the first project look like?
Specific enough to start in the first month, feasible with the resources offered, and producing a publishable result in reasonable time.
How do you show fit with the department?
Name colleagues you could work with and say on what, and mention shared facilities you would use.
