Statements of research and teaching are supplemental components of many academic job applications. Before you go on the market, you will do well to read job announcements in your field to get a sense of the documents you will need to prepare, and to talk with your adviser and others in your discipline for their insights. Research statements are more common in the natural sciences and social sciences, but may also be requested in the humanities.
These statements go a long way toward communicating your “job readiness.” Writing them is a worthwhile effort even if you are never asked to submit them for a job search. The exercise will help to sharpen your focus on your short- and long-term professional goals and will invariably contribute to good performance in interviews.
A research statement, or statement of research interests or plans, is a brief summary of your work (usually 1-2 pages written in the first person) that orients readers to your specific interest within the broader discipline and describes how your research fits within the context of developments in the field. Your statement should address:
All graduate students interested in teaching careers are strongly urged to take advantage of the U.Va. Teaching Resource Center. The TRC is designed to enhance the teaching abilities and professional development of faculty and graduate students at U.Va. The TRC provides a wealth of resources, including sample documents, to help you craft your reflective teaching statement (also referred to as a statement of teaching philosophy) and other materials related to teaching. In addition to its extensive library, the TRC offers a wide range of programs, maintains a listserv to which you can subscribe, and coordinates a staff of consultants available to assist you.
Similar to the research statement in form, the teaching statement, or statement of teaching philosophy, is a 1- to 2-page essay written in the first person that describes your approach to teaching and why you do it. The teaching statement typically addresses:
A teaching portfolio is a collection of materials that describes your teaching strengths and accomplishments. A portfolio is not an inventory but instead a thoughtfully prepared compilation of materials that collectively illustrate your identity and abilities as a teacher. Though not typically required in the initial application package for most academic searches, you may be asked for your portfolio at a later point in the screening process. A portfolio is not something one can easily slap together at the last minute, so be prepared. Even if it is not requested, you may want to offer your portfolio while interviewing at an institution that values teaching highly.
A teaching portfolio may include, for example:
The design, presentation, and contents of teaching portfolios vary widely from one individual to another, and from discipline to discipline. For this reason, you are encouraged to consult the Teaching Resource Center for guidance and valuable resources. The TRC also maintains a collection of sample teaching portfolios of U.Va. faculty and TAs that spans most disciplines.
"Academic Job Application Checklist,” Mary Corbin Sies, University of Maryland at College Park
"Apply on Paper: Research Statements,” Duke University
"Developing a Teaching Portfolio,” Ohio State University
"How to Produce a Teaching Portfolio,” Peter Seldin, Pace University
"How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy,” Gabriela Montell, Chronicle of Higher Education (2003)
"Preparing a Teaching Portfolio: A Guidebook,” University of Texas
"Research Statement Guidelines,” University of Michigan (sciences and engineering)
"Writing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement,” Ohio State University Faculty and TA Development
"Writing a Research Plan,” Jim Austin, Science Careers (2002)
Good information on research and teaching statements and sample documents may be found in The Academic Job Search Handbook (Third Edition), Mary Morris Heiberger and Julia Miller Vick (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002)