Research Statement

Many academic and research hiring committees require candidates to submit a research statement as part of their job application along with their CV (Curriculum Vitae) and other materials. A research statement is an opportunity for you to situate yourself within a research field, both thematically and chronologically. In other words, it should show how your research fits in with other work in the field (more important) and your research direction. You should talk what are currently interested in researching, an explanation of why it is interesting, a little bit about how you got here, and where you think your research is going. It should be focused, but it should show that you have some awareness of how you fit in with other research.

For this assignment, you will write a research statement. Since you are at the beginning of your career, it will be less detailed and less specific than those that accompany job applications. At this point, it will be sufficient to describe your research interests and motivations. Your research interests will likely change, but the ones you describe should last at least until the end of the quarter. Research statements are approximately one page in length, and in exceptional situations they can be two pages.

Related Link (includes some good references at the end):
Peter Fiske. The Truth Behind Teaching and Research Statements. Science Magazine, 24 October, 1997.

Biography
Write a one-paragraph biography for yourself that is suitable for advertising a presentation that you will give. The biography should include information on your credentials and interests. It should make you sound like a fascinating person, so people will attend the talk. Exaggerate, if necessary.

Biography Ten Years in the Future
Write a one-paragraph biography for yourself ten years in the future. What would you like to achieve by then? How will you be employed? Will you be doing research? What kinds of things will have changed for you and the field in ten years?

Related Link:
Andrew S. Tannenbaum. Ten Golden Rules for Teaching Computer Science.