research and scholarship statement

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Research statement, what is a research statement.

The research statement (or statement of research interests) is a common component of academic job applications. It is a summary of your research accomplishments, current work, and future direction and potential of your work.

The statement can discuss specific issues such as:

• funding history and potential
• requirements for laboratory equipment and space and other resources
• potential research and industrial collaborations
• how your research contributes to your field
• future direction of your research

The research statement should be technical, but should be intelligible to all members of the department, including those outside your subdiscipline. So keep the “big picture” in mind. The strongest research statements present a readable, compelling, and realistic research agenda that fits well with the needs, facilities, and goals of the department.

Research statements can be weakened by:

• 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 a Research Statement?

• It conveys to search committees the pieces of your professional identity and charts the course of your scholarly journey.
• It communicates a sense that your research will follow logically from what you have done and that it will be different, important, and innovative.
• It gives a context for your research interests—Why does your research matter? The so what?
• It combines your achievements and current work with the proposal for upcoming research.
• 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, which will probably contain scientists both in and outside your field, and get them excited about your research. To encourage people to read it:

• 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 Research Statements

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

• The main theme(s) and 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

• Avoid jargon. Make sure that you describe your research in 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.
• 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 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

• 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, 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 really think you can solve and over-reaching or dabbling in too many subject areas. Select an over-arching 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.

Samples of Research Statements

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

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

• Enhancing Student Success
• Innovative Research
• Alumni Success
• About NC State

How to Construct a Compelling Research Statement

A research statement is a critical document for prospective faculty applicants. This document allows applicants to convey to their future colleagues the importance and impact of their past and, most importantly, future research. You as an applicant should use this document to lay out your planned research for the next few years, making sure to outline how your planned research contributes to your field.

Some general guidelines

(from Carleton University )

An effective research statement accomplishes three key goals:

• It clearly presents your scholarship in nonspecialist terms;
• It places your research in a broader context, scientifically and societally; and
• It lays out a clear road map for future accomplishments in the new setting (the institution to which you’re applying).

Another way to think about the success of your research statement is to consider whether, after reading it, a reader is able to answer these questions:

• What do you do (what are your major accomplishments; what techniques do you use; how have you added to your field)?
• Why is your work important (why should both other scientists and nonscientists care)?
• Where is it going in the future (what are the next steps; how will you carry them out in your new job; does your research plan meet the requirements for tenure at this institution)?

1. Make your statement reader-friendly

A typical faculty application call can easily receive 200+ applicants. As such, you need to make all your application documents reader-friendly. Use headings and subheadings to organize your ideas and leave white space between sections.

In addition, you may want to include figures and diagrams in your research statement that capture key findings or concepts so a reader can quickly determine what you are studying and why it is important. A wall of text in your research statement should be avoided at all costs. Rather, a research statement that is concise and thoughtfully laid out demonstrates to hiring committees that you can organize ideas in a coherent and easy-to-understand manner.

Also, this presentation demonstrates your ability to develop competitive funding applications (see more in next section), which is critical for success in a research-intensive faculty position.

2. Be sure to touch on the fundability of your planned research work

Another goal of your research statement is to make the case for why your planned research is fundable. You may get different opinions here, but I would recommend citing open or planned funding opportunities at federal agencies or other funders that you plan to submit to. You might also use open funding calls as a way to demonstrate that your planned research is in an area receiving funding prioritization by various agencies.

If you are looking for funding, check out this list of funding resources on my personal website. Another great way to look for funding is to use NIH Reporter and NSF award search .

3. Draft the statement and get feedback early and often

I can tell you from personal experience that it takes time to refine a strong research statement. I went on the faculty job market two years in a row and found my second year materials to be much stronger. You need time to read, review and reflect on your statements and documents to really make them stand out.

It is important to have your supervisor and other faculty read and give feedback on your critical application documents and especially your research statement. Also, finding peers to provide feedback and in return giving them feedback on their documents is very helpful. Seek out communities of support such as Future PI Slack to find peer reviewers (and get a lot of great application advice) if needed.

4. Share with nonexperts to assess your writing’s clarity

Additionally, you may want to consider sharing your job materials, including your research statement, with non-experts to assess clarity. For example, NC State’s Professional Development Team offers an Academic Packways: Gearing Up for Faculty program each year where you can get feedback on your application documents from individuals working in a variety of areas. You can also ask classmates and colleagues working in different areas to review your research statement. The more feedback you can receive on your materials through formal or informal means, the better.

5. Tailor your statement to the institution

It is critical in your research statement to mention how you will make use of core facilities or resources at the institution you are applying to. If you need particular research infrastructure to do your work and the institution has it, you should mention that in your statement. Something to the effect of: “The presence of the XXX core facility at YYY University will greatly facilitate my lab’s ability to investigate this important process.”

Mentioning core facilities and resources at the target institution shows you have done your research, which is critical in demonstrating your interest in that institution.

Finally, think about the resources available at the institution you are applying to. If you are applying to a primarily undergraduate-serving institution, you will want to be sure you propose a research program that could reasonably take place with undergraduate students, working mostly in the summer and utilizing core facilities that may be limited or require external collaborations.

Undergraduate-serving institutions will value research projects that meaningfully involve students. Proposing overly ambitious research at a primarily undergraduate institution is a recipe for rejection as the institution will read your application as out of touch … that either you didn’t do the work to research them or that you are applying to them as a “backup” to research-intensive positions.

You should carefully think about how to restructure your research statements if you are applying to both primarily undergraduate-serving and research-intensive institutions. For examples of how I framed my research statement for faculty applications at each type of institution, see my personal website ( undergraduate-serving ; research-intensive research statements).

6. Be yourself, not who you think the search committee wants

In the end, a research statement allows you to think critically about where you see your research going in the future. What are you excited about studying based on your previous work? How will you go about answering the unanswered questions in your field? What agencies and initiatives are funding your type of research? If you develop your research statement from these core questions, your passion and commitment to the work will surely shine through.

A closing thought: Be yourself, not who you think the search committee wants. If you try to frame yourself as someone you really aren’t, you are setting the hiring institution and you up for disappointment. You want a university to hire you because they like you, the work you have done, and the work you want to do, not some filtered or idealized version of you.

So, put your true self out there, and realize you want to find the right institutional fit for you and your research. This all takes time and effort. The earlier you start and the more reflection and feedback you get on your research statement and remaining application documents, the better you can present the true you to potential employers.

More Advice on Faculty Job Application Documents on ImPACKful

How to write a better academic cover letter

Tips on writing an effective teaching statement

More Resources

See here for samples of a variety of application materials from UCSF.

• Rules of the (Social Sciences & Humanities) Research Statement
• CMU’s Writing a Research Statement
• UW’s Academic Careers: Research Statements
• Developing a Winning Research Statement (UCSF)
• Academic Packways
• ImPACKful Tips

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Graduate School Applications: Writing a Research Statement

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The research statement is a common component of a potential candidate’s application for post-undergraduate study. This may include applications for graduate programs, post-doctoral fellowships, or faculty positions. The research statement is often the primary way that a committee determines if a candidate’s interests and past experience make them a good fit for their program/institution.

What is a Research Statement?

A research statement is a short document that provides a brief history of your past research experience, the current state of your research, and the future work you intend to complete.

What Should It Look Like?

Research statements are generally one to two single-spaced pages. You should be sure to thoroughly read and follow the length and content requirements for each individual application.

Your research statement should situate your work within the larger context of your field and show how your works contributes to, complicates, or counters other work being done. It should be written for an audience of other professionals in your field.

What Should It Include?

Your statement should start by articulating the broader field that you are working within and the larger question or questions that you are interested in answering. It should then move to articulate your specific interest.

The body of your statement should include a brief history of your past research . What questions did you initially set out to answer in your research project? What did you find? How did it contribute to your field? (i.e. did it lead to academic publications, conferences, or collaborations?). How did your past research propel you forward?

It should also address your present research . What questions are you actively trying to solve? What have you found so far? How are you connecting your research to the larger academic conversation? (i.e. do you have any publications under review, upcoming conferences, or other professional engagements?) What are the larger implications of your work?

Finally, it should describe the future trajectory on which you intend to take your research. What further questions do you want to solve? How do you intend to find answers to these questions? How can the institution to which you are applying help you in that process? What are the broader implications of your potential results?

Note: Make sure that the research project that you propose can be completed at the institution to which you are applying.

Other Considerations:

• What is the primary question that you have tried to address over the course of your academic career? Why is this question important to the field? How has each stage of your work related to that question?
• Include a few specific examples that show your success. What tangible solutions have you found to the question that you were trying to answer? How have your solutions impacted the larger field? Examples can include references to published findings, conference presentations, or other professional involvement.
• Be confident about your skills and abilities. The research statement is your opportunity to sell yourself to an institution. Show that you are self-motivated and passionate about your project.

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Research statements for faculty job applications

The purpose of a research statement.

The main goal of a research statement is to walk the search committee through the evolution of your research, to highlight your research accomplishments, and to show where your research will be taking you next. To a certain extent, the next steps that you identify within your statement will also need to touch on how your research could benefit the institution to which you are applying. This might be in terms of grant money, faculty collaborations, involving students in your research, or developing new courses. Your CV will usually show a search committee where you have done your research, who your mentors have been, the titles of your various research projects, a list of your papers, and it may provide a very brief summary of what some of this research involves. However, there can be certain points of interest that a CV may not always address in enough detail.

• What got you interested in this research?
• What was the burning question that you set out to answer?
• What challenges did you encounter along the way, and how did you overcome these challenges?
• How can your research be applied?
• Why is your research important within your field?
• What direction will your research take you in next, and what new questions do you have?

While you may not have a good sense of where your research will ultimately lead you, you should have a sense of some of the possible destinations along the way. You want to be able to show a search committee that your research is moving forward and that you are moving forward along with it in terms of developing new skills and knowledge. Ultimately, your research statement should complement your cover letter, CV, and teaching philosophy to illustrate what makes you an ideal candidate for the job. The more clearly you can articulate the path your research has taken, and where it will take you in the future, the more convincing and interesting it will be to read.

Separate research statements are usually requested from researchers in engineering, social, physical, and life sciences, but can also be requested for researchers in the humanities. In many cases, however, the same information that is covered in the research statement is often integrated into the cover letter for many disciplines within the humanities and no separate research statement is requested within the job advertisement. Seek advice from current faculty and new hires about the conventions of your discipline if you are in doubt.

Timeline: Getting Started with your Research Statement

You can think of a research statement as having three distinct parts. The first part will focus on your past research, and can include the reasons you started your research, an explanation as to why the questions you originally asked are important in your field, and a summary some of the work you did to answer some of these early questions.

The middle part of the research statement focuses on your current research. How is this research different from previous work you have done, and what brought you to where you are today? You should still explain the questions you are trying to ask, and it is very important that you focus on some of the findings that you have (and cite some of the publications associated with these findings). In other words, do not talk about your research in abstract terms, make sure that you explain your actual results and findings (even if these may not be entirely complete when you are applying for faculty positions), and mention why these results are significant.

The final part of your research statement should build on the first two parts. Yes, you have asked good questions, and used good methods to find some answers, but how will you now use this foundation to take you into your future? Since you are hoping that your future will be at one of the institutions to which you are applying, you should provide some convincing reasons why your future research will be possible at each institution, and why it will be beneficial to that institution, or to the students at that institution.

While you are focusing on the past, present, and future or your research, and tailoring it to each institution, you should also think about the length of your statement and how detailed or specific you make the descriptions of your research. Think about who will be reading it. Will they all understand the jargon you are using? Are they experts in the subject, or experts in a range of related subjects? Can you go into very specific detail, or do you need to talk about your research in broader terms that make sense to people outside of your research field focusing on the common ground that might exist? Additionally, you should make sure that your future research plans differ from those of your PI or advisor, as you need to be seen as an independent researcher. Identify 4-5 specific aims that can be divided into short-term and long-term goals. You can give some idea of a 5-year research plan that includes the studies you want to perform, but also mention your long-term plans, so that the search committee knows that this is not a finite project.

Another important consideration when writing about your research is realizing that you do not perform research in a vacuum. When doing your research you may have worked within a team environment at some point, or sought out specific collaborations. You may have faced some serious challenges that required some creative problem-solving to overcome. While these aspects are not necessarily as important as your results and your papers or patents, they can help paint a picture of you as a well-rounded researcher who is likely to be successful in the future even if new problems arise, for example.

Follow these general steps to begin developing an effective research statement:

Step 1: Think about how and why you got started with your research. What motivated you to spend so much time on answering the questions you developed? If you can illustrate some of the enthusiasm you have for your subject, the search committee will likely assume that students and other faculty members will see this in you as well. People like to work with passionate and enthusiastic colleagues. Remember to focus on what you found, what questions you answered, and why your findings are significant. The research you completed in the past will have brought you to where you are today; also be sure to show how your research past and research present are connected. Explore some of the techniques and approaches you have successfully used in your research, and describe some of the challenges you overcame. What makes people interested in what you do, and how have you used your research as a tool for teaching or mentoring students? Integrating students into your research may be an important part of your future research at your target institutions. Conclude describing your current research by focusing on your findings, their importance, and what new questions they generate.

Step 2: Think about how you can tailor your research statement for each application. Familiarize yourself with the faculty at each institution, and explore the research that they have been performing. You should think about your future research in terms of the students at the institution. What opportunities can you imagine that would allow students to get involved in what you do to serve as a tool for teaching and training them, and to get them excited about your subject? Do not talk about your desire to work with graduate students if the institution only has undergraduates! You will also need to think about what equipment or resources that you might need to do your future research. Again, mention any resources that specific institutions have that you would be interested in utilizing (e.g., print materials, super electron microscopes, archived artwork). You can also mention what you hope to do with your current and future research in terms of publication (whether in journals or as a book), try to be as specific and honest as possible. Finally, be prepared to talk about how your future research can help bring in grants and other sources of funding, especially if you have a good track record of receiving awards and fellowships. Mention some grants that you know have been awarded to similar research, and state your intention to seek this type of funding.

Step 3: Ask faculty in your department if they are willing to share their own research statements with you. To a certain extent, there will be some subject-specific differences in what is expected from a research statement, and so it is always a good idea to see how others in your field have done it. You should try to draft your own research statement first before you review any statements shared with you. Your goal is to create a unique research statement that clearly highlights your abilities as a researcher.

Step 4: The research statement is typically a few (2-3) pages in length, depending on the number of images, illustrations, or graphs included.  Once you have completed the steps above, schedule an appointment with a career advisor to get feedback on your draft. You should also try to get faculty in your department to review your document if they are willing to do so.

Explore other application documents:

• Your Job Search
• Developing Application Materials
• Academic Job Market

Research Statement

Research statements are a frequent component of the academic job market application portfolio and one of the more field-specific documents. In a research statement, you are explaining to the search committee your scholarly profile, research agenda, impact of your work, and how your scholarship fits into the department and institution.

While the research statement can vary widely depending on field and institution, in general, research statements:

• Are up to two pages in length
• Written as first-person narratives (e.g., "My research focuses on ..."; "I consider ...")
• Address research topic and details
• Demonstrate methodologies used, approach, techniques, etc.
• Address the impact of your work
• Speak to future research agendas
• Can address questions of diversity, equity, and inclusion

Content Considerations

While your research statement needs to specify your current research and the foundation you have developed in your doctoral program, you also need to speak to how this current work relates to a future-looking research agenda. You want to talk the search committee through the evolution of your research from current project to future pathways. Think of the statement in three parts:

• What is the current state of research and why is it important to your field?
• What immediate work (publications, grants, impact) will you get out of this research? Why is it important?
• How will you use the skills built in the first two parts to develop future projects? In what direction do you hope to grow? How is this research possible at this particular institution?

Finally, think about the reader of your research statement: a search committee that may be familiar with your field but still requires an easily legible and accessible statement. While drafting and revising, keep this reader in mind:

• Will they understand the jargon?
• Can your research be understood by colleagues outside of your adviser, committee, and immediate peers?
• What about the student population at this institution? How can they be involved and help develop your research agenda?
• What resources (equipment, access, buildings) does the institution have and how can that help with your research agenda?

You as a Peer

Of utmost importance in a research statement is that you are not talking as a graduate student. You are not proposing a dissertation or potential experiment. In the research statement, you are delineating the contours of your research so a hiring committee can determine if it is in the interest of the department to invest in your candidature. Think about the position you are applying to:

• How does your research style fit within the department?
• How does your research complement projects or programs already underway within the department?
• How would your research engage with the department’s broader interests (e.g., their teaching output or interdisciplinary perspectives)?
• How would your research benefit the institution (grants, collaborations, new courses, new projects, etc.)?

As with all application documents, make sure to have multiple eyes on the content before submitting your statement. Take advantage of the support Northwestern provides from the Graduate Writing Place, Office of Fellowships, and Northwestern Career Advancement .

Postdocs can make appointments for individualized feedback with the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs .

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Graduate College

Writing an effective research statement.

One of the most favorite times of the year for a scholar is summer. For many professors and students, summer is a time for rest and renewal. Summer is also a time when professors can get work done that is challenging to complete during the academic year such as conducting research, writing a journal article or book chapter, working on a  book prospectus or an actual book , and preparing courses for the upcoming academic year.

If you are looking for a tenure-track job, summer can also be a time when you get a head start on the academic job market. Many positions request various statements (like a  teaching statement  and a  diversity statement ) along with your  cover letter . A  research statement  is one of those documents which is an integral part of an overall academic job application that can showcase the type of scholar you are. The research statement also offers you an opportunity to chart your vision and discuss the trajectory of your research. The research statement will give decision makers a clear picture of what you plan to do with your time and whether or not they will make an investment in you, and their institution, by hiring you.

Research statements are also used in tenure and promotion packages and summertime is a fantastic opportunity to work on it. While your teaching, departmental, and professional service are principal factors which contribute to your overall tenure decision at the departmental and college level (think of the work of tenure and promotion committees, for example), your research is what will make or break your tenure case at  Research 1  (R1) or  Research 2  (R2) universities. Whether you are preparing your tenure dossier or looking for a job, I offer the following advice to help you construct an effective research statement.

Before you type or write a word about your research, go in with the mindset that you need to be assertive about describing your accomplishments. Find the in-between space between bragging about oneself and understating your scholarly accomplishments and their impact within academia. This is not the time to be bashful about your work, but it is also not a time to be braggart. In other words, be prepared to describe your accomplishments in a way which reflects the impact of your scholarship in a measured yet confident manner and is supported with evidence such as awards and publications.

Introduce and Discuss Your Work You can start out your statement by introducing yourself and discussing your work. If you are an advanced assistant professor (someone who has several years on the tenure-track and has published articles and a book, for instance), discuss your areas of research and what you've produced as a scholar. In R1 anthropology departments, the standard for tenure for cultural anthropologists is a book-length monograph and 4 to 5 peer-review articles. I opened a recent research statement with the following sentences: "I am a cultural anthropologist who focuses on the political dimensions and implications of religious practice. I also study race and racism in the African Diaspora." Then I enumerate what I produced during this period. In my case, I listed my scholarly output for the period which includes a peer-reviewed book published through a university press and the five articles and one book chapter that helped me earn tenure.

Contributions to Academia Next, discuss the contributions of your scholarship. Social scientists like anthropologists, discuss the arguments and key findings of our research and any theoretical contributions we make to certain academic fields. For example, my work on Haitian Protestantism makes contributions to the anthropology of religion (specifically the anthropology of Christianity), transnationalism theory, and the fields of Haitian Studies and Africana Studies. You can also discuss any awards or other accolades your work has garnered as concrete examples of the impact of your scholarship.

Current Work Your next step is to inform readers of your current work. Questions that guide the construction of this section include, but are not limited to: What are your works-in-progress? How does your current work relate to your research trajectory? Is your research going in a different direction? If so, what are the potential contributions of this work? In a recent version of my research statement, I discuss research projects (articles and book projects) that continue my interests in religion, race, and racism and what stages they are at (the writing stage, submitted to a journal, stage of revision and resubmission to a journal, etc.)

Future Work Finally, discuss your future research interests. What are you working on for future work? For those of us fortunate to be in tenure-line positions, publishing books and articles does not stop once you earn tenure or become a full professor. You still need to publish, and your research statement is an opportunity to articulate your future research. In my case, my future research builds on my previous Bahamian research and deals with issues of citizenship, diaspora, immigration, human rights, religion and race through an investigation of stateless people of Haitian descent in the Bahamas.

Hopefully, I've given you some things to think about if you are planning to go on the job market or putting together your tenure dossier (or doing both).

In the meantime, an estimated  1,000,000 Americans have died due to COVID infections . Get your booster shots if you are eligible or get vaccinated for COVID-19.

Original article: https://www.higheredjobs.com/Articles/articleDisplay.cfm?ID=3079

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• A terminal degree in a relevant area (e.g. PH.D., M.D., D.PH.) conferred by July 1, 2024.
• Has a strong research background in an area of the biomedical and health sciences.
• A demonstrated track-record of promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within their field of study through their own research, teaching/mentoring, and/or service activities as well as a commitment to continue to promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the future through these and/or other activities.
• Have never had a tenure-track faculty appointment in an institution of higher education.
• Is currently and will continue to be eligible for NIH funding throughout their time in the program.
• All applications are required to have an ORCID iD. If you do not already have an ORCID iD, you may register for one on the ORCID website .

Application PDF Upload Requirements

• Cover Letter & Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Include a 1-2 page cover letter with your current CV .
• Research Statement:
• Research/scholarship proposal that outlines your scholarly work and includes your research plan for the program period. The statement should be no more than 3 pages (singled-space).
• Diversity Statement 
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statement that describes your record of past activities related to diversity, equity, and inclusion through scholarship/research, and/or teaching/mentoring, and/or service/engagement as well as your planned commitment to activities that you will participate in the future related to promoting DEI in the field into the future. The statement should be no more than 3 pages (singled-space).

Teaching Statement

• Teaching statement that describes your teaching philosophy, which may incorporate experience from formal or informal teaching and mentoring. The statement should be no more than 3 pages (singled-space).
• Service Statement
• Discuss your involvement and contributions to the University at the department, college, and/or University levels, in your profession (national, disciplinary service) and any involvement in community service that is related to your disciplinary expertise. The statement should be no more than 3 pages (singled-space). 
• Reprint or pre-prints of articles or manuscripts
• Please upload a max of 5 articles or papers that best exemplify your research interests, acumen, and/or proposed areas of study. Examples include published or unpublished research papers, journal articles, dissertation chapters. 
• Letters of recommendation
• You may submit up to four (4) letters of recommendation from individuals who can speak thoughtfully about your qualities and qualifications as a candidate for a tenure-track position at the University of Michigan. However, YOU MUST HAVE 3 LETTERS SUBMITTED BEFORE YOUR APPLICATION WILL RECEIVE FULL CONSIDERATION. You will be asked to provide email addresses for letter writers  and they will be contacted and provided up to 2 weeks to submit the letters. 

Applicants are also asked to complete a brief demographic questionnaire after submitting the application.  This demographic information will be used to help evaluate the effectiveness of the M-PACT program.  The information provided in the questionnaire WILL NOT be used, in any way, as part of the selection criteria for the M-PACT scholars.  The information obtained from the demographic questionnaire WILL be separated from the application materials submitted and WILL NOT be shared with the selection committees for the M-PACT scholars. 

Questions pertaining to the application process or eligibility, please contact [email protected]

Writing the Application Statements

Along with their scholarship, applicants for M-PACT will be evaluated on their contributions and commitment to increasing diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education, as demonstrated through teaching/mentoring and/or research/scholarship and/or service/engagement.

Research/Scholarship Statement

This statement should outline your scholarly achievements, including a discussion of the impact and contribution of your work to your discipline. The research/scholarship statement should also detail your future plans in research/scholarship.

Additionally, if applicable to your research/scholarship, you may choose to address the following:

• How the research/scholarship has the potential to serve the needs of groups that have been historically underserved by academic research.
• How the research/scholarship interests focus on underserved populations and understanding issues of social inequalities. For example:
• research/scholarship that addresses issues such as race, gender, diversity, equity, and inclusion;
• research/scholarship that addresses topics such as health disparities, educational access, and achievement, political engagement, economic justice, social mobility, civil and human rights, and similar topics;
• artistic expression and cultural production that reflects culturally diverse communities or voices not well represented in the arts and humanities.
• How the research/scholarship brings to bear the critical perspectives that come from the scholarly understanding of the experiences of groups historically underrepresented in higher education or underserved by academic research generally.
• How the research/scholarship contributes to understanding the barriers facing members of groups who have been historically underrepresented in specific fields in higher education. Examples include (but are not limited to):
• studying patterns of participation and advancement of women, racial minorities, and other groups in academic fields where they are underrepresented;
• evaluating research programs, curricula, and teaching strategies designed to enhance participation of students from groups underserved by higher education.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

This statement should document your personal achievements in, and commitment to, advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion goals within academia and beyond. This can include sustained engagement, service, or leadership to increase access, retention, and success of underrepresented populations in higher education.

Some areas of interest to the program are:

• Potential to contribute to higher education through the scholarly understanding of barriers facing women, domestic racial/ethnic minorities, students with disabilities, and other members of groups underrepresented in higher education, as may be evidenced by life experiences and educational background. Examples include but are not limited to:
• ability to articulate the barriers facing specific groups in fields where they are underrepresented;
• knowledge and experience gained through attendance (undergraduate or graduate) at a minority serving institution;
• knowledge and experience gained through participation in higher education pipeline programs such as Summer Research Opportunity Programs or McNair Scholars;
• significant academic achievement in the face of barriers such as economic, social, or educational disadvantage.
• commitment to allyhood through learning about structural inequities demonstrated by, for example, extensive reading or focused coursework, or participation in professional development programs or institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
• A record of academic service to advance equitable access to higher education for groups in fields where they are underrepresented (e.g., women, racial/ethnic minorities, first-generation college students, student veterans).
• Demonstrated engagement with historically underserved populations, and bringing this experience to the scholarship, teaching, and learning mission of the university. This commitment may reflected by leadership or active participation in:
• departmental or institutional committees, task force groups, or other workgroups;
• local or national service related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, such as through professional societies and organizations;
• scholarship, practice, or policy efforts to advance diversity, equity, inclusion or social justice for historically underrepresented or marginalized groups (at campus, local community, state, or national levels);
• other community engagement or outreach activities relevant to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and access, such as volunteer activities, consulting, or advising.
• A record of leadership or significant experience performing public service addressing the needs of our increasingly diverse society.

This statement should describe your philosophy of teaching, and may include experience in formal course instruction or design as well as informal teaching or mentoring experiences.

Particular consideration will be given to the following:

• A record of leadership or significant experience teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students from broadly diverse demographic and social backgrounds, including students from groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education. Strong statements will demonstrate this engagement beyond individual students.
• Capacity to pedagogically address and respond to the learning needs of students from broadly diverse backgrounds. For example:
• Development or use of curricula designed to enhance participation of students from broadly diverse backgrounds, including groups underserved by higher education;
• Engagement in training or professional development activities designed to enhance intercultural or intergroup competencies and skills.
• Ability to integrate contemporary issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion into the classroom.
• Ability to create an inclusive learning environment, addressing one or more of the following issues:
• How your own and your students’ identities (e.g., race, gender, class), background, experience, and levels of privilege affect classroom dynamics;
• How diverse perspectives can be integrated into teaching methods and approaches.

Other DEI Relevant Post-doctoral Fellow and Faculty Opportunities:

National Center for Institutional Diversity

President Postdoctoral Fellows Program

Application FAQ’s

The following addresses some of the more commonly asked questions about the M-PACT Program. If you have a question about the program that is not adequately answered by the FAQs, please email your inquiry to [email protected] .

Eligibility

Do i have to be a member of an underrepresented group to apply for this fellowship.

No. The program is open to all persons who meet the eligibility criteria, without regard to race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, or other identity characteristics.

What academic disciplines are allowable for applicants?

Academic departments and units eligible for the M-PACT Program are listed on the main program page under “eligibility.” Each year different departments and units have openings. Be sure to check on an annual basis to see which units are hiring.

If I have applied for another fellowship or faculty position at the University of Michigan, can I still apply?

The University of Michigan has numerous postdoctoral fellowship programs and open faculty positions. If you have applied to another program or position, you may still apply to the M-PACT Program , but you must disclose this on the application.

Can I still be considered if I do not have US citizenship or permanent residency?

Yes, provided that you can demonstrate eligibility to work in the United States. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

I'm an assistant professor. Can I still apply?

M-PACT is a program for individuals who do not currently have and have never had a tenure track faculty appointment. Candidates who currently have or have in the past had a tenure-track appointment are NOT eligible for the program. 

I received my PhD over five years ago. Am I still eligible to apply for this fellowship?

Yes, as long as you have never held a tenure-track faculty position at a University.

I will finish my doctorate after July 1 of next year. Am I still eligible to apply this fall?

Applicants must complete their doctoral or terminal degree by July 1, 2024.

What academic programs are participating in MPACT and hiring this year?

See the full list of academic programs and application due dates on our participating units page .

Application

Should my materials be single-spaced or double-spaced.

Most applications are single-spaced (or between 1.0 and 1.5) with breaks between paragraphs; we need enough information about you to make a decision, but also need to be able to read your submission easily. Please ensure that your formatting makes it easy for reviewers to read.

Are there sample applications available for review?

No, though we do provide guidance on writing research, diversity, and teaching statements that include your demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We strongly encourage you to read our guidelines on these statements . There are many variations on successful applications. Applicants are encouraged to consult with their academic advisors or mentors about how to submit a competitive application.

Should I send my graduate transcripts along with my online application?

No. The program does not require transcripts to be sent with the application. However, the program will request official graduate transcripts if you are selected as a finalist and will not offer you a fellowship unless official graduate transcripts are received and deemed satisfactory.

Contact the Michigan Program for Advancing Cultural Transformation team

If you have a question or need assistance, please contact the team: [email protected] .

• Graduate School

Personal Statement for PhD Scholarship Sample

A personal statement for PhD scholarship sample can only help so much, as doctorate-level scholarships have varying, non-universal application requirements. Some scholarships may not even ask for a personal statement, while others will ask you to write a statement based on a very particular prompt or topic that goes beyond the standard “ why do you want to do a PhD? ”. The variety and diversity of scholarships available to PhD applicants mean that your creativity, writing skills, and self-reflection ability matter more than your academic background or achievements.

This article presents a personal statement for PhD scholarship sample, written based on a specific scholarship, the Rhodes Scholarship, along with a few general tips that you should follow to make your own personal statement stand out.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

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Article Contents 9 min read

Note: The following personal statement was written according to the requirements of the Rhodes Trust, which awards the internationally renowned Rhodes Scholarship. This scholarship was chosen because it has global reach, and applicants from anywhere entering a program (undergraduate and graduate) at the University of Oxford can apply. It was also chosen because the personal statement is a crucial component of your application. All applicants must write a 750-word personal statement that addresses all three of the following specific prompts:

• 'Which Rhodes Scholar quality do you display most strongly, and how are other contexts and people helping you to develop the others?'
• 'What would you like to learn from the Rhodes and wider community in Oxford?'
• 'From your place in the world, what is humanity’s greatest need?'

Still uncertain about grad school? Check out this video:

Personal Statement for PhD Scholarship Sample  

V.S. Naipaul hated Oxford. 'I hate those degrees and I hate all those ideas of universities', he said in an interview with The Paris Review. Naipaul graduated with a bachelor’s degree – Upper Second Class Honours, not the First Class Honours he wanted – but I don’t believe his ire can be explained by his failing the oral exam to complete the B.Litt. post-graduate degree he was seeking.

While his words are unambiguous and forceful, I think Naipaul’s work, and actions, betray a more complicated relationship with his alma mater and the overarching culture and identity of Britishness Oxford represents. Let’s not forget that Naipaul, born in Trinidad, took the extraordinary step of leaving his home to study in England, and in that remarkable action, I think we can infer a deep-rooted, visceral and intense desire to belong.

I was also born in Trinidad, not far from Naipaul’s birthplace. And, like Naipaul, my grandparents were transplants from another sector of the British Empire, Hong Kong. I too grew up in an environment never feeling like I belonged. I struggled for a long time to create an idea of myself that represented all the aspects of my past and present. I believe the rootlessness and alienation I felt ultimately led me to become post-national.

Writing a personal statement for a PhD scholarship is different from writing a research interest statement , a grad school career goals statement , or a school or program specific personal statement, like the Harvard graduate school personal statement . The main difference, of course, is the reason for writing the statement, which is to win a scholarship to pay for graduate school, not entry into a program or university. This difference matters because you may be asked to write about something totally unrelated to your academic achievements or research plans, which may be difficult at first.

As you can see from the prompts given above, scholarship selection committees look for very specific answers on topics that are the opposite of what you would write in a typical Oxford personal statement , graduate school cover letter or PhD motivation letter . Scholarship selection committees are also bound by the stipulations set forth by the founder or benefactor of the scholarship since they are the ones funding the award. The people who establish academic and non-academic scholarships do so for a variety of reasons.

In the case of Cecil Rhodes, the founder of the Rhodes Scholarship, it was to 'promote unity among English-speaking nations'. The original motivation for the scholarship, which was founded at the turn of the 20 th century, has evolved to be more inclusive of international students, but its core mission to reward scholars who show essential qualities, like an instinct to lead and devotion to duty is unchanged.

The scope of many scholarships means it is difficult to recommend what exactly to write and what to mention since it is the scholarship administrators who determine that, and it can be different for every scholarship. The requirements can be either open-ended, or, in the case of the Rhodes Scholarships, quite precise.

For an example of an open-ended personal statement for PhD scholarship, the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship program, administered by the Canadian government, asks for a two-page Personal Leadership Statement, with the main requirement being that you 'outline how you have gone above and beyond the expected norms' in a leadership capacity. Yet another example of how tricky it can be to navigate all the different requirements scholarships ask for is that the Vanier CGS program also asks for you to expound on much more than your leadership. You are encouraged to write about any personal obstacles you overcame to pursue your studies, what led you to pursue this particular field of study and how you will achieve your particular goals at the institution which has nominated you for the scholarship (you must be nominated; you cannot apply yourself). Therefore, the Vanier CGS resembles a typical personal statement in some ways (writing about overcoming obstacles, answering the 'tell me about yourself' PhD interview question ), but there is much more you need to write about, as it is a PhD-level scholarship which has a myriad of opportunities attached to it.

What Should I Include in my Personal Statement for a PhD Scholarship?

What you include in your personal statement for a PhD scholarship depends on the scholarship you are applying to. Fortunately, many of these scholarships tell you directly what you need to include, whether it be, like the Rhodes Scholarship, how you exemplify certain characteristics, or what you would do to address a certain problem, or how the school or program you want to enter can help you in achieving your academic and career goals.

There are thousands of different scholarship opportunities out there for eligible students, and their eligibility requirements also differ. The scholarship could be academically based, meaning you must meet certain academic requirements. It could be based around your program and only available to students within that program.

Other scholarships are specifically for a certain demographic, such as students who identify as Black, Indigenous or another ethnicity. These students may be asked to write a totally different personal statement than someone who applies for an academic or merit-based scholarship. Other funding opportunities may be based solely on financial need and do not require you to submit any supporting documentation other than financial records.

But there are a few general tips that you can modify accordingly, so that you have some idea of what you need to write about.

1. Don’t Stray from the Requirements

Writing a personal statement for a PhD scholarship is, in some ways, a bit easier than learning how to write a CV for grad school , mainly because (in some cases, not all) you are given a specific set of requirements that can help you formulate and structure your statement, rather than having to do it yourself. The Rhodes Scholarship is only one example of this, but there are many others.

Since these scholarships are explicit about their requirements, you must adhere to them faithfully. These requirements apply not only to the content of your statement, but to the formatting as well. The Vanier GSC program has very strict formatting requirements which, if not followed, will reflect poorly on your overall application: maximum of 2 pages (2.5 pages for essays written in French), 12-point font size, six lines per inch.

Should you pursue a master’s or PhD , you should know that doctorate programs have fluctuating costs, but they usually enter the six-figure range, so figuring out how to fund your education is essential. If you are unsure about how to find a job after grad school , then applying for a full scholarship like the Rhodes or Vanier can help you shoulder the costs so that you are not burdened with student debt.

The Rhodes and Vanier scholarships are only two examples of scholarships that cover all costs associated with a PhD, but not all of them do. Some have limited funds to disburse, and availability depends on various factors, so you should research which scholarships apply to your particular program or whether you fit the eligibility requirements.

Many scholarship programs regardless of the school, program of study or discipline, ask applicants to submit a short essay or statement about either a specific topic or something more general. Usually, but not always, the topic or prompt is based around the reasons the scholarship was created in the first place (to promote a specific ideal or discipline, to help underprivileged students get into graduate school, etc.). But it could also be a general letter about why you want to pursue your PhD. 

Whether or not you write a personal statement for a PhD scholarship depends on what scholarship you are applying for, as they do not all require them. You should check the requirements carefully to find out for sure.  

The differences are that a personal statement for a PhD scholarship may require you to write in response to a very specific topic, whereas a regular personal statement usually does not. A regular personal statement is where you outline various autobiographical details and how they relate to your overall academic and professional goals. A personal statement for a PhD scholarship may or may not ask for those same details. They may ask you to write about something else, which is the main difference between the two. 

What you include in your personal statement for a PhD scholarship depends on the stipulations of the scholarship founder and committee.

Yes, it very well might. Writing an excellent personal statement (if you are asked to write one) is an important part of winning a scholarship, and it can tip the scales in your favour if it helps you stand out in a field of similarly bright and capable applicants. You should put as much time and effort into writing it as you would for any personal statement requirement. 

It depends on the scholarship which you are applying to. The examples given above, Rhodes and Vanier, have many different requirements and ask you to submit other documentation like your research resume , statement of purpose and grad school letters of recommendation . You may have to meet other academic and non-academic requirements, like having a master’s degree or a specific GPA score. 

Scholarships are not specific to PhDs or graduate students, as they can be used by anyone who needs the appropriate funding and resources to complete their education, regardless of the level. A PhD scholarship is a bit different in that it can afford you other opportunities besides money for tuition and living expenses. Winning a Rhodes Scholarship grants you access to several professional development opportunities, an international alumni network and entrance into a hallowed legacy. But other PhD scholarships' benefits may not be as far-reaching and involve only helping you pay for your education. 

Award amounts vary between different scholarships and are not always made public since the prize can be disbursed over several years or all at once, depending on the scholarship. Other scholarships are one-time, non-renewable prizes which cover only one year of study or one semester, and you are told upfront how much money is available. But, again, even those amounts can change, depending on how many applicants apply and how many scholarships are awarded. 

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How to Write a Personal Statement for a Scholarship + Examples

What’s covered:, what is the purpose of the scholarship personal statement, what to include in your personal statement, personal statement example: breakdown + analysis, how to make sure your writing is effective.

Either before or after you’ve gotten into your dream school, you’ll have to figure out how to pay for it. For most students, this involves a combination of financial aid, parent contributions, self-contributions, student loans, and scholarships/grants. Because scholarships are money out of someone else’s pocket that you never have to pay back, they are a great place to start!

Scholarships come in two forms: merit-based and need-based. Need-based scholarships are also often called grants. These designations tell you whether an organization looks at your financial situation when deciding about your scholarship.

Additionally, different scholarships fall under different categories based on the mission of the organization or person providing the scholarship’s financing. These missions typically emphasize different things like academic achievement, specific career goals, community service, leadership, family background, skill in the arts, or having overcome hardship. As you select scholarships to apply for and complete your applications, you should keep these missions in mind.

No matter what type of scholarship you are applying for, you will be asked to provide the review committee with standard materials. This includes your transcript, GPA, and resume/extracurriculars, but also, importantly, your personal statement. A scholarship personal statement is a bit different from your normal college essay, so we’ve put together this guide and some examples to help you get started!

The purpose of your personal statement is to help a review committee learn more about your personality, values, goals, and what makes you special. Ultimately, like with your college essays, you are trying to humanize your profile beyond your transcript, GPA, and test scores.

College essays all have one goal in mind (which is why you can apply to multiple schools at once through applications like the Common App or Coalition App): convince admissions officers that you would be a valuable addition to the university environment. The goal of your scholarship personal statement is different and differs more from one scholarship to the next. Rather than convincing various review committees that you are a generally good candidate for extra funding for college, you need to convince each review committee that your values have historically aligned with their organization’s mission and will continue to align with their organization’s mission.

Common missions amongst those who give scholarships include:

• Providing opportunities for students with career ambitions in a particular field
• Helping students who have experienced unexpected hardship
• Supporting students who show outstanding academic achievement
• Funding the arts through investing in young artists with strong technical skill
• Supporting the development of civic-minded community service leaders of the future
• Providing opportunities for historically underrepresented ethnic communities 

If a specific mission like this is outlined on an organization’s website or in the promotional material for its scholarship, the purpose of your personal statement is to show how you exemplify that mission.

Some scholarships ask for your personal statement to be guided by a prompt, while others leave things open for interpretation. When you are provided a prompt, it is obvious what you must do: answer the prompt. When you are not provided a prompt, you want to write a personal statement that is essentially a small-scale autobiography where you position yourself as a good investment. In either case, you should identify a focus or theme for what you are trying to say about yourself so that your application does not get lost in the shuffle.

Prompts include questions like:

• Why do you deserve this scholarship?
• How have you shown your commitment to (leadership/community service/diversity) in your community?
• When did you overcome adversity?
• Why is attending college important to you?

If you are provided a prompt, develop a theme for your response that showcases both your values and your achievements. This will help your essay feel focused and will subsequently help the review committee to remember which candidate you were as they deliberate.

Themes include things like:

• I deserve this community service scholarship because my compassion for intergenerational trauma has inspired me to volunteer with a local after-school program. I didn’t just sympathize. I did something about my sympathy because that’s the type of person I am. Within the program, I have identified avenues for improvement and worked alongside full-time staff to develop new strategies for increasing attendance.
• I overcame adversity when my mother had to have a major surgery two months after giving birth to my younger brother. I was just a kid but was thrown into a situation where I had to raise another kid. It was hard, but I’m the kind of person who tries to grow from hard times and, through my experience taking care of a baby, I learned the importance of listening to body language and nonverbal cues to understand the needs of others (baby and nonbaby, alike).

Without a prompt, clarity can be harder to achieve. That said, it is of the utmost importance that you find a focus. First, think about both your goals and your values.

Types of goals include:

• Career goals
• Goals for personal growth
• The type of friend you want to be
• The change you want to make in the world

Values could include:

• Authenticity
• And many more!

After you write out your goals/values, write out your achievements to see what goals/values you have “proof” of your commitment to. Your essay will ultimately be an exploration of your goal/value, what you have done about your goal/value in the past, and what you aspire to in the future.

You might be tempted to reflect on areas for improvement, but scholarships care about you living out your values. It is not enough to aspire to be exemplary in leadership, community service, or your academic field. For scholarships, you have to already be exemplary.

Finally, keep in mind that the review committee likely already has a copy of your extracurricular activities and involvement. Pick one or two accomplishments, then strive for depth, not breadth as you explore them.

My interest in the field of neuroscience began at a young age.  When I was twelve years old, my sister developed a condition called Pseudotumor Cerebri following multiple concussions during a basketball game.  It took the doctors over six months to make a proper diagnosis, followed by three years of treatment before she recovered.  During this time, my love for neuroscience was sparked as I began to research her condition and, then, other neurocognitive conditions.  Later, my love of neuroscience was amplified when my mother began to suffer from brain-related health issues.  My mother had been a practicing attorney in Dallas for over twenty years.  She was a determined litigator who relentlessly tried difficult cases that changed people’s lives.  Now, she suffers from a cognitive impairment and is no longer able to practice law.  Oftentimes, she has headaches, she gets “cloudy,” her executive functioning slows down, she feels overwhelmed, and she forgets things.  My mother has gone from being the strong, confident, emotional and financial caretaker of our family to needing significant help on a daily basis. Once again, with this illness came a lot of research on my part — research that encouraged me to pursue my dreams of exploring neuroscience.

Due to my experiences with my mother and sister when I was in middle school, I knew that I wanted to make a difference in the field of neuroscience.  I also knew that, to obtain this goal, I needed to maintain superior grades in school while also pursuing opportunities outside of school to further my education.  In school, I was able to maintain superior grades to the point where I am currently valedictorian in a class of 567 students.  In addition, in school, I challenged myself by taking 16 Advanced Placement classes and 19 Honors classes.  Two of the most beneficial classes were AP Capstone Seminar and AP Capstone Research.  AP Capstone Seminar and AP Capstone Research are research-oriented classes where students are given the opportunity to pursue whatever track their research takes them down.  As a junior in AP Capstone Seminar, I researched the effects of harmful pesticide use on the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children.  This year, as a senior in AP Capstone Research, I am learning about the effects of medical marijuana on the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).  

Outside of school, I furthered my education through taking advantage of the Duke TiP summer program. Duke TiP is a summer program run by Duke University where students who score extremely well on the SAT as middle schoolers are able to take college classes at different universities throughout the summers of their middle school and high school years.  I took advantage of this opportunity twice.  First, I went to Trinity University in San Antonio to expand my horizons and learn more about debate.  However, once I was done exploring, I decided I wanted to go into neuroscience.  This led me to take an Abnormal Psychology class at Duke University’s West Campus.  This class opened my eyes to the interaction between neuroscience and mental health, mental illness, and personality.  Years later, I am currently continuing my education outside of school as an intern at the University of Texas Dallas Center for Brain Health.  Through this internship, I have been able to see different aspects of neuroscience including brain pattern testing, virtual reality therapy, and longitudinal research studies.  With this background, I have positioned myself to be accepted by top neuroscience programs throughout the nation.  So far, I have been accepted to the neuroscience department of University of Southern California, the University of Virginia, the University of Texas, and Southern Methodist University, as well as the chemistry department at University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill.  

It is with this passion for neuroscience driven by my family and passion for education driven by internal motivation that I will set out to conquer my career objectives.  My educational aspirations consist of acquiring a bachelor’s degree in a biological or health science that would assist me in pursuing a medical career as a neuroscience researcher.  I decided to attain a career as a researcher since my passion has always been assisting others and trying to improve their quality of life.  After obtaining my Masters and my PhD, I plan to become a professor at a prestigious university and continue performing lab research on cognitive disorders.  I am particularly interested in disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).  In the lab, I hope to find different therapies and medications to help treat the 3.5 million people around the world suffering from ASD.  Furthermore, I want to contribute back to underserved populations that struggle because they do not have as much access to medical assistance as other privileged groups.  As such, I hope to do a part of my research in less developed or developing Spanish-speaking countries. This will also allow me to pursue my love of Spanish while pursuing my love of neuroscience.  I think that following such a career path will provide me the opportunity to learn about the medical needs of the autistic community and improve their quality of health.  Furthermore, I hope to train a new generation of students to strive to research and make comparable discoveries.  Whether it be through virtual reality labs or new drug discoveries, I believe that research leads to innovation which leads to a brighter future. 

This student does a great job of making themself appear competent and dedicated to the field of neuroscience. This is primarily because they provided tangible evidence of how they have pursued their dedication in the past—through their AP Capstone courses, their Abnormal Psychology class at Duke TiP, and their internship at UTD. There is no doubt in the mind of a reader that this student is high-achieving. 

This student also engages successfully with a past-future trajectory, where they end with a vision of how they will continue to use neuroscience in the future. This helps the review committee see what they are investing in and the ways that their money will go to good use.

This student has two major areas for improvement. As we have said, the purpose of a personal statement is for a student to humanize themself to a review committee. This student struggles to depict themself separately from their academic achievements. A solution to this would be for the student to establish a theme towards the beginning of their essay that relates to both their values as a human and their achievements.

At the beginning of the essay, the student explores how their interest in neuroscience began. They explain their interest through the following sentences: “During this time, my love for neuroscience was sparked as I began to research her condition and, then, other neurocognitive conditions” and “Once again, with this illness came a lot of research on my part — research that encouraged me to pursue my dreams of exploring neuroscience.” The student made the great decision to tell the backstory of their interest, but they described their research in very mundane and redundant terms. Instead, they could have focused on their value of intellectual curiosity as a magnetic force that encouraged them to research their mother and sister’s ailments. Curiosity, then, could serve as a value-related thematic throughline to taking AP Capstone classes, taking college courses during the summer that weren’t required, and interning before even graduating high school.

A second area for improvement would be avoiding statistics. As the student identifies their valedictorian status and the number of AP classes they have taken, they might turn away certain personalities on a review committee by appearing braggy. Even further, these statistics are a waste of space. The review committee already has access to this information. These words distract from the major theme of the essay and would have been better used to humanize the student.

Throughout my academic career, I have been an avid scholar, constantly pushing myself towards ambitious goals. I held and continue to hold myself to a high standard, enrolling myself in rigorous curriculum, including Honors and Advanced Placement courses to stretch my mental potential. During my junior year of high school, I took four AP tests, two on the same day, and earned the AP Scholar with Honor Award. Additionally, I received the Letter of Commendation for the PSAT/NMSQT, and qualified for Rotary Top 100 Students both my freshman and senior year, a sign of my commitment to my studies. However, school has not been all about having the best GPA for me; beyond the numbers, I have a deep drive to learn which motivates me to do well academically. I truly enjoy learning new things, whether it be a new essay style or a math theorem. I always give each class my best effort and try my hardest on every assignment. My teachers have noticed this as well, and I have received school Lancer Awards and Student of the Month recognitions as a result. It is a major goal of mine to continue to aspire towards a high level of achievement regarding future educational and occupational endeavors; I plan on continuing this level of dedication throughout my educational career and implementing the skills I have learned and will learn into my college experience and beyond.

This fall, I will begin attending the University of California Los Angeles as an English major. I chose this major because I am fascinated by written language, especially its ability to convey powerful messages and emotions. I also enjoy delving into the works of other authors to analyze specific components of their writing to discover the meaning behind their words. In particular, I cannot wait to begin in-depth literary criticism and learn new stylistic techniques to add more depth to my writing. Furthermore, I recently went to UCLA’s Bruin Day, an event for incoming freshmen, where I was exposed to many different extracurriculars, some of which really piqued my interest. I plan on joining the Writing Success Program, where I can help students receive free writing help, and Mock Trial, where I can debate issues with peers in front of a real judge. The latter, combined with a strong writing background from my undergraduate English studies will be extremely beneficial because I plan to apply to law school after my undergraduate degree. As of now, my career goal is to become a civil rights lawyer, to stand up for those who are discriminated against and protect minority groups to proliferate equality.

As a lawyer, I wish to utilize legislation to ameliorate the plight of the millions of Americans who feel prejudice and help them receive equity in the workplace, society, and so on. Though this seems a daunting task, I feel that my work ethic and past experience will give me the jumpstart I need to establish myself as a successful lawyer and give a voice to those who are often unheard in today’s legal system. I have been a Girl Scout for over a decade and continually participate in community service for the homeless, elderly, veterans, and more. My most recent project was the Gold Award, which I conducted in the Fullerton School District. I facilitated over ten workshops where junior high students taught elementary pupils STEM principles such as density and aerodynamics via creative activities like building aluminum boats and paper airplanes. I also work at Kumon, a tutoring center, where I teach students to advance their academic success. I love my job, and helping students from local schools reach their potential fills me with much pride.

Both being a Girl Scout and working at Kumon have inspired me to help those in need, contributing significantly to my desire to become a lawyer and aid others. My extracurriculars have allowed me to gain a new perspective on both learning and teaching, and have solidified my will to help the less fortunate. In college, I hope to continue to gain knowledge and further develop my leadership skills, amassing qualities that will help me assist others. I plan to join multiple community service clubs, such as UCLA’s local outreach programs that directly aid residents of Los Angeles. I want to help my fellow pupils as well, and plan on volunteering at peer tutoring and peer editing programs on campus. After college, during my career, I want to use legal tactics to assist the underdog and take a chance on those who are often overlooked for opportunities. I wish to represent those that are scared to seek out help or cannot afford it. Rather than battling conflict with additional conflict, I want to implement peaceful but strong, efficient tactics that will help make my state, country, and eventually the world more welcoming to people of all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. These goals are close to my heart and therefore I will be as diligent as I am passionate about them. My perseverance and love for learning and community service drive my ambition in both education and life as a whole, and the drive to make the world a better place is one that I will carry with me for my entire life.

This student emphasizes two values in this essay: hard work and community service. These are values that go together nicely, and definitely make sense with this student’s end goal of becoming a civil rights lawyer! That said, some changes could be made to the way the student presents their values that would make their personal statement more convincing and engaging.

Structurally, instead of using a past-future trajectory, this student starts by explaining their academic achievements, then explains their career goals, then explains their history of community service, then explains their future desires for community service. This structure loses the reader. Instead, the student should have started with either the past or the future. 

This could look like 1) identifying their career goals, 2) explaining that hard work and a commitment to community service are necessary to get there, and 3) explaining that they aren’t worried because of their past commitment to hard work and community service. Or it could look like 1) providing examples of their hard work and community service in the past, then 2) explaining how those values will help them achieve their career goals.

Additionally, like with our other example, this student shows a heavy investment in statistics and spouting off accomplishments. This can be unappealing. Unfortunately, even when the student recognizes that they are doing this, writing “beyond the numbers, I have a deep drive to learn which motivates me to do well academically. I truly enjoy learning new things, whether it be a new essay style or a math theorem,” they continue on to cite their achievements, writing “My teachers have noticed this as well, and I have received school Lancer Awards and Student of the Month recognitions as a result.” They say they are going beyond the numbers, but they don’t go beyond the awards. They don’t look inward. One way to fix this would be to make community service the theme around which the essay operates, supplementing with statistics in ways that advance the image of the student as dedicated to community service.

Finally, this student would be more successful if they varied their sentence structure. While a small-scale autobiography can be good, if organized, every sentence should not begin with ‘I.’ The essay still needs to be engaging or the review committee might stop reading.

Feedback is ultimately any writer’s best source of improvement! To get your personal statement edited for free, use our Peer Review Essay Tool . With this tool, other students can tell you if your scholarship essay is effective and help you improve your essay so that you can have the best chances of gaining those extra funds!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Scholarly Opportunities

Research opportunities abound at the University of Chicago, and Pritzker consistently ranks as one of the top five institutions for NIH research grants per faculty member. Students pursue scholarly work through one of our three MD/PhD programs or our Scholarship & Discovery curriculum for MD students.

MD Scholarly Opportunities

Through Scholarship & Discovery (S&D) , all MD students complete a mentored scholarly project by the time of graduation. The S&D curriculum—undertaken in years one, two, and four—provides enhanced training in fundamental concepts and skills to ensure student success in one of these five fields of study.

MD/PhD Programs

• Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)
• Medicine, the Social Sciences and Humanities (MeSH)
• Growth, Development, and Disabilities Training Program (GDDTP)

percent or more of our students participate in the NIH-funded Summer research program

percent of our students participate in a mentored research project

percent of our students have authored a research paper submitted for publication

Summer Research Program

The Summer Research Program (SRP) is an 11-week medical research opportunity available to first year medical students. Students develop a well-defined project and work with faculty mentors throughout the summer to conduct research. In addition to their research, students are required to attend weekly cluster meetings and seminars.

At the end of the 11 weeks, participants present their research at the Summer Research Forum. There students are judged and are eligible to receive cash prizes.

It is the goal of the Pritzker and NorthShore Fellowship Program to support the development of future leaders in medicine across the spectrum of research, scholarship, and service. The Pritzker School of Medicine will provide financial support to select students ("Fellows") who choose to pursue a one-year research project, international experience, or a community service opportunity.

During the process of renewing our partnership with NorthShore University HealthSystem , the team at NorthShore presented us with a generous gift in recognition of our shared educational mission. This gift is being used to fund an annual NorthShore Fellowship on the same cycle as the Pritzker Fellowships. Preference will be given to students conducting research at NorthShore or under the guidance of NorthShore faculty members, though it is not a requirement.

Requirements of the Fellowship include...

• A commitment to take a year off from medical school studies to work on the intended project during the period of funding.
• Provision of a progress report at six months.
• Final report submitted within one month of completing the fellowship year.
• Presentation of work at one or more forum (Medical Education Day, Research in Progress [RIP], regional or national conference) following completion of the fellowship year.
• Please note: In order to accommodate the needs of all students who wish to take a year off for scholarly opportunities, students who apply for the Pritzker and NorthShore Fellowship and receive support from an external funding source must notify the Pritzker and NorthShore Fellowship Review Committee ASAP (via  [email protected] ). If the external funding level is similar to the amount offered through the Pritzker and NorthShore Fellowship Program, the Pritzker and NorthShore Fellowship funds will be redistributed accordingly.

Things to know before you apply

Students selected as Pritzker and NorthShore Fellows will receive $20,000 beginning in July and continuing throughout the academic year. Eligible students must have completed at least two years of study at the Pritzker School of Medicine (please note: PhD students are not eligible for the Pritzker/NorthShore Fellowship Program). All applicants must have a faculty sponsor who will provide mentorship and support during this year and ensure the completion of the proposed project. The faculty sponsor does not  have to be on the faculty at the University of Chicago or NorthShore University HealthSystem, but must demonstrate the qualifications to mentor the student in a scholarly project. Pritzker and NorthShore Fellows will ultimately present their work in at least one forum, such as the Medical Education Day, Research in Progress (RIP), or a regional or national conference.

Application details

Applications are due to  [email protected]  no later than  March 3, 2023 . The Pritzker and NorthShore Fellowship application consists of the following:

• Application (Word document)
• Project Statement
• Personal Statement
• Mentor Statement
• CVs of the Faculty Sponsor and the student

Q. Why is the application limited to second- and third-years?

A. The application is limited to those who have completed two years at the Pritzker School of Medicine. The purpose is to give students ample time to develop their interests in research, community service, or international experiences. Because of the size of the award, this level of investment should be provided to an individual who has already demonstrated significant interest in one of these areas and a capacity to bring projects to fruition.

Q. How are fellows selected?

A. Fellows will be selected by a faculty committee.

Q. What is the committee looking for in the applications?

A. The committee is looking for a well thought through program of study or research project, and a strong relationship with an appropriate faculty mentor who is invested in the student.

Q. How detailed should the budget be?

A. The budget can contain a general overview of broad categories. However, enough detail about the program and the budget should be provided so that the committee can evaluate whether the budget is realistic.

Q. Are there stipulations on what funds should be used for (research, travel, living expenses, expenses for self or for family)?

A. There are no stipulations on how the funds should be used. If the student wants to use the money to support living expenses for the year, that is acceptable. However, students will be called upon to report how they used the money by providing information in general categories.

Q. How do I select an advisor for the fellowship?

A. Students should select an advisor whose career/track record is closely matched to their own research and future career interests. The advisor should also be able to provide sufficient time to mentor and support the student during the year.

Q. Is there a word limit for application and for faculty sponsor letter?

The application should not exceed 5 pages. The faculty sponsor letter should be 1-2 pages.

Q. If selected, what should the interim report contain?

If selected for the fellowship, students will be required to provide an interim report at six months. The interim report should include a description of activities undertaken over the transpired period and a description of plans for the remaining period of support. The student’s research advisor should also provide information about his or her work with the student.

The Calvin Fentress Fellowship Awards were created to encourage research activities by students during their fourth elective year. Named in honor of a grateful patient, the Fentress Fellows receive a $2,000 stipend for completing a research project. The research may be either a continuation of prior research work or a new research project. PhD medical students and PhD candidates may not apply. Fentress fellows present their work at the annual Senior Scientific Session.

To be eligible for the $2,000 stipend, a student must be registered for research credits during the academic year. It is recommended that three months of research be full-time; however research throughout the year may be considered.

The John D. Arnold Scientific Research Prize is a facet of the Fentress Research Fellowship; Arnold Prize recipients are chosen from the subset of Fentress applicants for their demonstrated sustained relationship with their mentor. This award was established by a grateful alumnus, Dr. Charles Pak, in recognition of the impact his mentor had on his education and future research career. The Arnold Scientific Research Prize recognizes students whose research accomplishments as medical students are based on ongoing, sustained work with a faculty mentor. The goal of the Arnold Scientific Research Prize, much like the Fentress, is to provide support for the continuation of this research during the fourth year of medical school.

Each student will receive $2,000 to pursue a scholarly project and will present their findings during the annual Senior Scientific Session. At the time of the event, we will also recognize each mentor by presenting the John D. Arnold, MD Mentor Award for sustained excellence in mentoring medical students.

Learn more about the Bucksbaum Institute for Clinical Excellence.

There are many national opportunities for medical students to pursue research, international experiences, community service and other training. If you are interested in taking a year off, please contact the Scholarship and Discovery Team .

Explore a complete list of opportunities for external funding, conference support, and travel funding .

Senior Scientific Session

The annual Senior Scientific Session was founded in 1946 by Dr. Leon Jacobson to provide fourth year medical students with a forum to present their research. Each year, nearly one-third of the graduating class participates in this event. Student presentations and posters are judged by a panel of faculty members. Cash prizes for excellence in science and presentation will be awarded.

2024 Senior Scientific Session May 15, 2024

Global Health

The Pritzker School of Medicine offers students the opportunity to take part in a variety of global health programs through the Scholarship and Discovery Global Health Scholarship Track and the Global Health Scholarships as well as through student organizations such as REMEDY (Recovered Medical Supplies for the Developing World) and IMIG (International Medicine Interest Group). To learn more about Global Health programs taking place throughout campus, visit the University of Chicago Center for Global Health website.

Learn more about global health opportunities at Pritzker.

• UC Berkeley
• Letters & Science

Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Haas scholars program, proposal format, haas scholars program: guidelines for your project proposal.

Please review these guidelines and policies before beginning to write your Haas Scholars proposal.  We recommended using this research proposal worksheet to prepare your proposal. For more suggestions on how to approach each section, visit the proposal-writing resources page on the OURS website and/or attend a “How to Write a Proposal” workshop (times/dates here ). You may also review a video recording of the Research Proposal Workshop linked here . Note: you will need to be signed into you BMail account (@berkeley.edu) in order to access the linked resources above.

Your proposal should contain the following five sections:

• Research Statement (Project Summary)
• Background and Rationale
• Research Plan (Methodologies and Timeline)
• Qualifications and Affiliations
• Bibliography

Note : You will need to number any supplementary materials (graphics, images, charts) that you refer to in your application and upload them as a single PDF.

Research Statement (Project Summary) (max. 1,000 characters, approx. 175 words)

Provide an overview of your project, addressing the following questions:

• What specific question does your research ask. and why is it important?
• How will your project potentially contribute new knowledge to the field?

A good research statement acts as an abstract of your project – it is your sales pitch. It should:

• Provide a hook or snapshot of your specific topic
• Introduce a hypothesis or intervention in the field, stating your research question
• Briefly contextualize your proposal in current conversations in the field
• Describe the potential impact or implication(s) of the project
• Make a claim about how this project is relevant
• Convince the reader that this project is exciting, innovative, and meaningful!

Background and Rationale (max. 4,000 characters, approx. 750 words)

Contextualize your research project within existing literature and make a case for why this research matters. Although you may use in-text citations to refer to sources that have informed your research, full citations of these sources should be included in the bibliography section. Be sure to address the following questions:

• What is already known about the research topic you will be working on?
• How does your project align with or depart from the existing scholarship?
• How will this research contribute to the wider field?

This section builds on the project overview you provided in the Research Statement section. In it, you will situate your research project within existing literature. This is where you will cite the sources included in the bibliography!

• Situate your research question within the broader field, summarizing the key findings of scholarship that shaped your thinking
• Indicate how your project will contribute new knowledge
• Identify questions your research will answer

Research Plan (Methodologies and Timeline) (max. 3,000 characters, approx. 500 words)

Describe your research plan. Provide an account of the methodologies that will inform your process and outline the timeline of your project. Be sure to address the following questions:

• Describe your summer research plan in chronological order, using either a week-by-week timeline or phases approach. Each week/phase should specify goals, action items, and methods.
• How are your chosen research methods appropriate for addressing these issues?
• Are there constraints or anticipated challenges associated with any particular elements of your research process?

This section details the how, when, where, and what of your project, describing how you will tackle the research objectives. It should identify the components of this research and your organizational approach. Be clear about the nature of your research (e.g., bibliographic, labwork, experiments, interviews, documentation). Describe your project as a process that can be broken down into rational, discrete phases:

• What will your first step be?  What is entailed in this step? What will your questioning look like? How long will it take?
• How does step 1 prepare you for step 2? How does step 2 prepare you for step 3? etc.
• Are there benchmarks that will define your process?

Qualifications and Affiliations (max. 1,200 characters, approx. 200 words)

Describe your qualifications to conduct this research. Reference not only any relevant coursework and germane research experience but also personal experiences that make the project meaningful to you. If your research requires an external affiliation or permission to access particular resources, provide evidence that you have secured these. Be sure to address the following:

• What academic and personal experiences have prepared you to carry out this research project?
• Does your project depend on access to people and/or institutions or particular resources (i.e., interviewing subjects, partnering with institutions, traveling to archives or museums)? If so, please describe the affiliations, permissions, and agreements you have established.

In this section, you are convincing the committee that you are prepared to undertake this research. You are providing a personal statement about why this research matters to you. Here’s what to include:  

• A narrative account of what you learned
• Previous research experience
• Planned training in the coming semester or early summer
• Any external affiliations secured (archives, labs, community groups)
• Relevant leadership or extracurricular activities
• Demonstration of passion for the proposed project

Bibliography (max. 4,000 characters)

Provide a short bibliography that has informed your thinking. Include full citations of any sources you mentioned elsewhere in this proposal.

• Ten most important sources
• e.g., Chicago, MLA, APA, etc.

Previously Successful Research Proposals

To view examples of research proposals, you can visit the SURF L&S Resources page linked here .

Note: The proposals will be listed by Major(s), Fellow, and Title of Project. To access the files linked, you must be logged into a valid UC Berkeley email address.

Scientific Consensus

It’s important to remember that scientists always focus on the evidence, not on opinions. Scientific evidence continues to show that human activities ( primarily the human burning of fossil fuels ) have warmed Earth’s surface and its ocean basins, which in turn have continued to impact Earth’s climate . This is based on over a century of scientific evidence forming the structural backbone of today's civilization.

NASA Global Climate Change presents the state of scientific knowledge about climate change while highlighting the role NASA plays in better understanding our home planet. This effort includes citing multiple peer-reviewed studies from research groups across the world, 1 illustrating the accuracy and consensus of research results (in this case, the scientific consensus on climate change) consistent with NASA’s scientific research portfolio.

With that said, multiple studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals 1 show that climate-warming trends over the past century are extremely likely due to human activities. In addition, most of the leading scientific organizations worldwide have issued public statements endorsing this position. The following is a partial list of these organizations, along with links to their published statements and a selection of related resources.

American Scientific Societies

Statement on climate change from 18 scientific associations.

"Observations throughout the world make it clear that climate change is occurring, and rigorous scientific research demonstrates that the greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are the primary driver." (2009) 2

American Association for the Advancement of Science

"Based on well-established evidence, about 97% of climate scientists have concluded that human-caused climate change is happening." (2014) 3

American Chemical Society

"The Earth’s climate is changing in response to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and particulate matter in the atmosphere, largely as the result of human activities." (2016-2019) 4

American Geophysical Union

"Based on extensive scientific evidence, it is extremely likely that human activities, especially emissions of greenhouse gases, are the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century. There is no alterative explanation supported by convincing evidence." (2019) 5

American Medical Association

"Our AMA ... supports the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s fourth assessment report and concurs with the scientific consensus that the Earth is undergoing adverse global climate change and that anthropogenic contributions are significant." (2019) 6

American Meteorological Society

"Research has found a human influence on the climate of the past several decades ... The IPCC (2013), USGCRP (2017), and USGCRP (2018) indicate that it is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-twentieth century." (2019) 7

American Physical Society

"Earth's changing climate is a critical issue and poses the risk of significant environmental, social and economic disruptions around the globe. While natural sources of climate variability are significant, multiple lines of evidence indicate that human influences have had an increasingly dominant effect on global climate warming observed since the mid-twentieth century." (2015) 8

The Geological Society of America

"The Geological Society of America (GSA) concurs with assessments by the National Academies of Science (2005), the National Research Council (2011), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2013) and the U.S. Global Change Research Program (Melillo et al., 2014) that global climate has warmed in response to increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases ... Human activities (mainly greenhouse-gas emissions) are the dominant cause of the rapid warming since the middle 1900s (IPCC, 2013)." (2015) 9

Science Academies

International academies: joint statement.

"Climate change is real. There will always be uncertainty in understanding a system as complex as the world’s climate. However there is now strong evidence that significant global warming is occurring. The evidence comes from direct measurements of rising surface air temperatures and subsurface ocean temperatures and from phenomena such as increases in average global sea levels, retreating glaciers, and changes to many physical and biological systems. It is likely that most of the warming in recent decades can be attributed to human activities (IPCC 2001)." (2005, 11 international science academies) 1 0

U.S. National Academy of Sciences

"Scientists have known for some time, from multiple lines of evidence, that humans are changing Earth’s climate, primarily through greenhouse gas emissions." 1 1

U.S. Government Agencies

U.s. global change research program.

"Earth’s climate is now changing faster than at any point in the history of modern civilization, primarily as a result of human activities." (2018, 13 U.S. government departments and agencies) 12

Intergovernmental Bodies

Intergovernmental panel on climate change.

“It is unequivocal that the increase of CO 2 , methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere over the industrial era is the result of human activities and that human influence is the principal driver of many changes observed across the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, and biosphere. “Since systematic scientific assessments began in the 1970s, the influence of human activity on the warming of the climate system has evolved from theory to established fact.” 1 3-17

Other Resources

List of worldwide scientific organizations.

The following page lists the nearly 200 worldwide scientific organizations that hold the position that climate change has been caused by human action. http://www.opr.ca.gov/facts/list-of-scientific-organizations.html

U.S. Agencies

The following page contains information on what federal agencies are doing to adapt to climate change. https://www.c2es.org/site/assets/uploads/2012/02/climate-change-adaptation-what-federal-agencies-are-doing.pdf

Technically, a “consensus” is a general agreement of opinion, but the scientific method steers us away from this to an objective framework. In science, facts or observations are explained by a hypothesis (a statement of a possible explanation for some natural phenomenon), which can then be tested and retested until it is refuted (or disproved).

As scientists gather more observations, they will build off one explanation and add details to complete the picture. Eventually, a group of hypotheses might be integrated and generalized into a scientific theory, a scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena.

1. K. Myers, et al, "Consensus revisited: quantifying scientific agreement on climate change and climate expertise among Earth scientists 10 years later", Environmental Research Letters Vol.16 No. 10, 104030 (20 October 2021); DOI:10.1088/1748-9326/ac2774 M. Lynas, et al, "Greater than 99% consensus on human caused climate change in the peer-reviewed scientific literature", Environmental Research Letters Vol.16 No. 11, 114005 (19 October 2021); DOI:10.1088/1748-9326/ac2966 J. Cook et al., "Consensus on consensus: a synthesis of consensus estimates on human-caused global warming", Environmental Research Letters Vol. 11 No. 4, (13 April 2016); DOI:10.1088/1748-9326/11/4/048002 J. Cook et al., "Quantifying the consensus on anthropogenic global warming in the scientific literature", Environmental Research Letters Vol. 8 No. 2, (15 May 2013); DOI:10.1088/1748-9326/8/2/024024 W. R. L. Anderegg, “Expert Credibility in Climate Change”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Vol. 107 No. 27, 12107-12109 (21 June 2010); DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1003187107 P. T. Doran & M. K. Zimmerman, "Examining the Scientific Consensus on Climate Change", Eos Transactions American Geophysical Union Vol. 90 Issue 3 (2009), 22; DOI: 10.1029/2009EO030002 N. Oreskes, “Beyond the Ivory Tower: The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change”, Science Vol. 306 no. 5702, p. 1686 (3 December 2004); DOI: 10.1126/science.1103618

2. Statement on climate change from 18 scientific associations (2009)

3. AAAS Board Statement on Climate Change (2014)

4. ACS Public Policy Statement: Climate Change (2016-2019)

5. Society Must Address the Growing Climate Crisis Now (2019)

6. Global Climate Change and Human Health (2019)

7. Climate Change: An Information Statement of the American Meteorological Society (2019)

8. American Physical Society (2021)

9. GSA Position Statement on Climate Change (2015)

10. Joint science academies' statement: Global response to climate change (2005)

11. Climate at the National Academies

12. Fourth National Climate Assessment: Volume II (2018)

13. IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, Summary for Policymakers, SPM 1.1 (2014)

14. IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, Summary for Policymakers, SPM 1 (2014)

15. IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, Working Group 1 (2021)

16. IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, Working Group 2 (2022)

17. IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, Working Group 3 (2022)

Discover More Topics From NASA

Explore Earth Science

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Writing the Application Statements

• LSA Collegiate Fellowship

Along with their scholarship, applicants for the LSA Collegiate Fellowship Program will be evaluated on their contributions and commitment to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, as demonstrated through teaching/mentoring and/or research/scholarship and/or service/engagement/leadership.

In writing the research statement, diversity, equity, and inclusion statement, and teaching statement, applicants are encouraged to address some or all of the points listed below.

Research/Scholarship Statement

This statement should outline your scholarly achievements, including a discussion of the impact and contribution of your work to your discipline. The research/scholarship statement should also describe your future plans. Additionally, if applicable to your research/scholarship, you may choose to address the following:

• How the research/scholarship has the potential to serve the needs of groups that have been historically underserved by academic research.
• research/scholarship that addresses issues such as race, gender, diversity, equity, and inclusion;
• research/scholarship that addresses topics such as health disparities, educational access, and achievement, political engagement, economic justice, social mobility, civil and human rights, and similar topics;
• artistic expression and cultural production that reflects culturally diverse communities or voices not well represented in the arts and humanities.
• How your research/scholarship brings to bear the critical perspectives that come from the scholarly understanding of the experiences of groups historically underrepresented in higher education or underserved by academic research generally.
• studying patterns of participation and advancement of women, racial minorities, and other groups in academic fields where they are underrepresented;
• evaluating research programs, curricula, and teaching strategies designed to enhance participation of students from groups underserved by higher education.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

This statement should document your commitment to, and personal achievements in, advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion goals within academia and beyond. This can include sustained engagement, service, or leadership to increase access, retention, and success of underrepresented populations in higher education.

Some areas of interest to the program are:

• ability to articulate the barriers facing specific groups in fields where they are underrepresented;
• attendance (undergraduate or graduate) at a minority serving institution;
• participation in higher education pipeline programs such as Summer Research Opportunity Programs or McNair Scholars;
• significant academic achievement in the face of barriers such as economic, social, or educational disadvantage.
• commitment to allyhood through learning about structural inequities demonstrated by, for example, extensive reading or focused coursework, or participation in professional development programs or institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
• A record of academic service to advance equitable access to higher education for groups in fields where they are underrepresented (e.g., women, racial/ethnic minorities, first-generation college students, student veterans).
• departmental or institutional committees, task force groups, or other workgroups;
• local or national service related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, such as through professional societies and organizations;
• scholarship, practice, or policy efforts to advance diversity, equity, inclusion or social justice for historically underrepresented or marginalized groups (at campus, local community, state, or national levels);
• other community engagement or outreach activities relevant to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and access, such as volunteer activities, consulting, or advising.
• A record of leadership or significant experience performing public service addressing the needs of our increasingly diverse society.

Teaching Statement

This statement should describe your philosophy of teaching, and may include experience in formal course instruction or design as well as informal teaching or mentoring experiences.

Particular consideration will be given to the following:

• A record of leadership or significant experience teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students from broadly diverse demographic and social backgrounds, including students from groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education. Strong statements will demonstrate this engagement beyond individual students.
• Development or use of curricula designed to enhance participation of students from broadly diverse backgrounds, including groups underserved by higher education;
• Engagement in training or professional development activities designed to enhance intercultural or intergroup competencies and skills.
• Ability to integrate contemporary issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion into the classroom.
• How your own and your students’ identities (e.g., race, gender, class), background, experience, and levels of privilege affect classroom dynamics;
• How diverse perspectives can be integrated into teaching methods and approaches.