Chris Woolston writes about a new type of CV in science career
CVs have long been part of the currency of scientific promotion. Scientists seeking a position or a grant often feel obliged to list every publication, presentation and award in a single document intended to sway committees through its sheer length and volume. The typical CV follows a time-worn template, says Robert Morrell, an education researcher and former director of the New Generation of Academics Programme at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. “ ‘I was born, I went to school here, I had these publications, these are the students I graduated.’ People who write CVs like that are missing the boat.”
The UKRI is not alone in seeking to rethink the CV in response to a renewed focus on team science and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). It modelled its new CV format on ‘Résumé for Researchers’, introduced in 2019 by the Royal Society in London. Similar initiatives have been unveiled by research councils in the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
I wish this initiative would have come 10 or 20 years earlier…
The Royal Society template has only 4 blocks. I could fill that template in 20 minutes while for a conventional CV it would take me 2 days.
- Personal details: Provide your personal details, your education, key qualifications and relevant positions you have held.
- How have you contributed to the generation of knowledge?
- How have you contributed to the development of individuals?
- How have you contributed to broader society?