A CV of a PhD student and a professor differs from a standard CV because, unlike a classic, short CV, it should present the exact course of a scientific career, taking into account all relevant activities. Read and check what an academic CV should contain and how to highlight each section.
This article explains:
Scientific CV vs standard CV – what is the difference?
The main difference between a researcher’s CV and a standard CV for work is the length of the document. When you apply for any position in a selected company, you should not write too much, it is enough to fit the most important information on one page. The recruiter will probably receive dozens or hundreds of applications that can be scanned by the ATS program before they are seen by a human who will not have much time to read.
A standard CV should quickly attract the attention of an employer.
What counts in a researcher’s CV is diligence and meticulousness, as it will be thoroughly analyzed. You will probably have to prove your scientific activity, e.g. with scans of the title pages of your publications, and submit a statement of English proficiency at a certain level. An academic resume is a document that outlines your academic achievements in a comprehensive manner, so there is no page limit in it.
A scientific CV should present your scientific achievements in detail.
Scientific CV – an example of CV elements
- Personal and contact information;
- education;
- Publications;
- teaching activities;
- research experience and completed projects;
- conferences (participation and organization);
- awards and distinctions;
- grants and scholarships;
- international cooperation;
- scientific teams of which you were a member;
- knowledge of foreign languages;
- scientific interests;
- consent to the processing of personal data.
Scientific curriculum vitae – an example of additional sections
You already know that an academic CV should present your business in a comprehensive way. What else can you highlight in your resume?
- Research and organizational work in scientific circles;
- research internships;
- training in research skills;
- workshop;
- activities popularizing science;
- activity in organizations, commissions, associations, etc.;
- average grade from studies;
- professional career.
A PhD student’s CV will contain fewer sections compared to a professor’s CV, so it is important to adapt the layout of the document to your own needs in order to best present your achievements and qualifications.
How to create a professional scientific CV?
Even the most spectacular scientific achievements will not look good in a poorly formatted document. It is worth focusing on the aesthetic presentation of information in the CV to make a good impression right away.
- Use a uniform and simple font, for example, Arial, Times New Roman or Georgia;
- Ensure a clear layout with adequate spacing between sections and clear headings.
- properly title the CV file, e.g. “name-surname-cv-scientific”;
- save your finished resume in PDF format, so the document will look the same on all devices.
Scientific CV – PhD
If you want to get into a doctorate, read the admission rules for the doctoral school of your choice, as the requirements for documents may vary. Sometimes it is enough to fill out an online form, but if you need to attach a scientific resume to your PhD in the form of a file, you should create a professional document containing your scientific achievements.
Scientific CV – template for doctoral studies
Joachim Kowalski, MA
CURRICULUM VITAE
2025/01/20Joachim Kowalski, MA
Date and place of birth: 03.05.1999, Warsaw
Address: 123 Example, 00-001 Warsaw
Tel: +48 123 456 789
Email: [email protected]Education
2022–2024 Master’s Degree in Molecular Biology
Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw
Master’s thesis title: “The impact of BRCA1 gene mutations on DNA repair mechanisms”
Supervisor: prof. UW dr hab. Anna Nowak2019–2022 Bachelor’s Degree in Biotechnology
Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw
Bachelor’s thesis title: “Expression of DNA repair genes in cancer cells”
Supervisor: Jan Malinowski, PhDPublications
Monographs:
- Kowalski J., Nowak A. “BRCA1 mutations and DNA repair mechanisms”, University of Warsaw Press, 2024
Popular science articles:
- “How Genetic Mutations Affect Health?” in the magazine “Biotechnology Today” (2023)
- “Modern methods of DNA analysis” in the Advances in Genetics website (2022)
Research projects
- “Effects of oxidative stress on DNA” – own research project (2023-2025)
- “New methods for BRCA1 mutation analysis” – participation in a research project led by Prof. Magdalena Tyszkiewicz at the University of Warsaw (2022-2024)
Conferences
- “Biotechnology has more than one name” National Conference organized by the Poznań University of Life Sciences (2023)
Research interests: molecular biology of cancer, bioinformatics
Knowledge of foreign languages
- English – C1
- German – B2
I consent to the processing of my personal data by [name of institution] for the purpose of recruitment for the position I am applying for.
What does a PhD student’s CV contain?
Did you get into doctoral school? Before you can obtain a doctoral degree, you will need to prepare the relevant documents, m.in. a PhD student’s CV . Such a CV is completed before the appointment of a supervisor or before the initiation of the procedure for awarding a doctoral degree.
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Scientific CV – template for PhD student
Personal data: name, surname;
Education: university and faculty graduated; Erasmus scholarship (place and duration); date of obtaining the master’s degree; the topic of the master’s thesis and the supervisor; postgraduate studies and their duration;
Professional/research career: place and period of employment; place and period of domestic and foreign internships;
Doctoral studies: date of commencement of doctoral studies/doctoral school; name of the studio; proposed/appointed supervisor(s) of the doctoral dissertation;
Participation in research projects: number and type of projects (e.g. NCN, NCBiR); the nature of the participation (manager/contractor);
Convention reports: number and type of presentation (e.g. oral presentation);
Workshops and courses;
Scientific publications: experimental and review;
Scholarships and honors;
Activities for the Institute and popularization of science;
Knowledge of English – confirmed by a certificate or completed studies in English.
Remember that you only fill in the data that concerns you, if you have not participated in the Erasmus program or completed postgraduate studies, skip these points.
Scientific CV – summary
A well-crafted research resume can help you land prestigious scholarships, research assistant positions, and other esteemed academic roles. Pay attention to entering all the data correctly and checking the documents before sending them, because a CV is your professional business card.
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Nika Walęcka
Copywriter, author of articles with practical advice that will help you look for satisfying employment. It provides a lot of information that is useful in preparing applications, conducting job interviews and building a professional image.
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