Academic CV Builder
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when the user:
- Is applying for academic positions (faculty, research, postdoc)
- Needs to create or update a curriculum vitae
- Wants to format publications, grants, and teaching experience
- Is in academia or transitioning to academic careers
- Mentions: "academic CV", "curriculum vitae", "faculty position", "research CV", "professor resume"
Core Capabilities
- Structure CVs for academic positions
- Format publications, presentations, and grants
- Organize teaching and research experience
- Include appropriate academic sections
- Tailor for different academic roles (tenure-track, postdoc, lecturer)
- Balance research, teaching, and service
Academic CV vs. Resume
| Resume | Academic CV |
|---|---|
| 1-2 pages | 2-20+ pages (length increases with career) |
| Highlights relevant experience | Comprehensive record |
| Results-focused | Scholarship-focused |
| Industry keywords | Disciplinary expertise |
| Skills section prominent | Publications prominent |
| Education minimal | Education detailed |
Standard Academic CV Sections
Typical Order
1. Contact Information 2. Education 3. Research/Academic Positions 4. Publications 5. Presentations 6. Grants & Funding 7. Teaching Experience 8. Mentoring 9. Service 10. Professional Memberships 11. Honors & Awards 12. References (or "Available upon request")
Section Order Varies By:
- Research position: Publications, grants, research experience first
- Teaching position: Teaching, course development first
- Administrative position: Leadership, service first
Section-by-Section Guide
1. Contact Information
FIRST MIDDLE LAST, Ph.D. Department of [Field] [University Name] [Building, Room Number] [City, State ZIP] Email: email@university.edu Phone: (555) 123-4567 Web: www.yoursite.edu ORCID: 0000-0000-0000-0000
2. Education
Format: Degree, Field, Institution, Year
EDUCATION Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Stanford University, 2019 Dissertation: "Title of Your Dissertation" Advisor: Dr. Jane Smith Committee: Dr. A, Dr. B, Dr. C M.S. in Biology, UC Berkeley, 2015 B.S. in Biochemistry, UCLA, 2013 Summa Cum Laude
Include:
- All degrees (in reverse chronological order)
- Dissertation/thesis title
- Advisor(s)
- Committee members (for PhD)
- Honors (cum laude, etc.)
- Relevant minors or certificates
3. Research/Academic Positions
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS Assistant Professor of Biology, University of Michigan, 2022-Present Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Postdoctoral Fellow, MIT, 2019-2022 Advisor: Dr. John Doe Lab: Computational Biology Lab Graduate Research Assistant, Stanford University, 2014-2019 Advisor: Dr. Jane Smith
4. Publications
Most Important Section for Research Positions
Formatting Options
Option 1: Numbered List (Common in Sciences)
PUBLICATIONS Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles 15. Last, F.M., Co-Author, A.B., & Senior, C.D. (2023). Article title. Journal Name, 45(2), 123-145. doi:10.1000/xyz 14. Last, F.M., & Co-Author, A.B. (2022). Article title. Journal Name, 44(1), 10-25. doi:10.1000/abc
Option 2: Categories (Useful for Multiple Types)
PUBLICATIONS Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles (15) Book Chapters (3) Books (1) Under Review (2) In Preparation (3)
Formatting Details:
- Bold your name in author lists
- Include DOIs when available
- Note impact factors if requested/relevant
- Indicate student co-authors with asterisk*
- Some fields expect reverse chronological; others expect chronological
Categories to Consider:
- Peer-reviewed journal articles
- Books and book chapters
- Conference proceedings
- Technical reports
- Non-peer-reviewed publications
- Works under review
- Works in preparation
5. Presentations
PRESENTATIONS Invited Talks "Talk Title," Conference Name, Location, Date. "Talk Title," Department Seminar, University Name, Date. Conference Presentations "Poster/Talk Title," Conference Name, Location, Date. [Poster/Oral]
Categorize By:
- Invited talks (keynotes, seminars)
- Conference presentations
- Campus talks
- Public lectures/outreach
6. Grants & Funding
GRANTS AND FUNDING Awarded NIH R01 (Co-PI), "Project Title," 2023-2028, $2.5M total ($500K to my lab) NSF CAREER Award (PI), "Project Title," 2022-2027, $650,000 Internal Grant (PI), "Project Title," 2021, $25,000 Pending NIH R21 (PI), "Project Title," submitted January 2024 Not Funded (Optional) [Some fields expect you to list unfunded submissions]
Include:
- Funding agency and mechanism
- Your role (PI, Co-PI, Co-I)
- Project title
- Dates
- Total amount (and amount to your lab if split)
7. Teaching Experience
TEACHING EXPERIENCE Courses Taught BIOL 301: Molecular Biology (Instructor of Record) University of Michigan, Fall 2022, Fall 2023 Enrollment: 45 students Developed new course curriculum BIOL 101: Introduction to Biology (Lab Instructor) Stanford University, 2015-2018 Guest Lectures "Topic," Course Name, Professor's Name, University, Date
Include:
- Course number and title
- Your role (Instructor, TA, Guest Lecturer)
- Institution and dates
- Enrollment numbers
- Course development or new preparations
- Teaching evaluations summary (if strong)
8. Mentoring
MENTORING Graduate Students - Student Name (Ph.D. expected 2025), Dissertation: "Title" - Student Name (Ph.D. 2023), Current position: Postdoc at MIT Postdoctoral Fellows - Name (2021-2023), Current position: Assistant Professor at X Undergraduate Researchers - Name (2022-2023), Thesis: "Title," Current: PhD program at Y - Name (2021-2022), Thesis: "Title," Current: Industry position
9. Service
SERVICE To the Profession - Editorial Board Member, Journal Name, 2022-Present - Grant Reviewer, NIH Study Section XYZ, 2023 - Conference Organizer, Conference Name, 2022 To the University - Graduate Admissions Committee, 2022-Present - Faculty Search Committee, 2023 - Curriculum Committee, 2022-2023 To the Department - Seminar Coordinator, 2022-Present - Undergraduate Advisor, 2022-Present
10. Professional Memberships
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB), 2015-Present Society for Neuroscience (SfN), 2018-Present
11. Honors & Awards
HONORS AND AWARDS NSF CAREER Award, 2022 Best Paper Award, Conference Name, 2021 Outstanding Graduate Student Award, Stanford University, 2018 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, 2015-2018 Phi Beta Kappa, 2013
Role-Specific Emphasis
Tenure-Track Faculty
Emphasize:
- Publications (especially recent, high-impact)
- Grants (especially independent funding)
- Research trajectory and vision
- Teaching experience
- Mentoring record
Postdoctoral Position
Emphasize:
- Publications (from PhD and postdoc)
- Research experience and skills
- Collaboration experience
- Future research potential
- Any funding/fellowships
Lecturer/Teaching Faculty
Emphasize:
- Teaching experience (courses, evaluations)
- Course development
- Pedagogical training
- Mentoring undergraduates
- Teaching awards
Research Scientist
Emphasize:
- Publications
- Technical skills
- Grant writing experience
- Collaboration record
- Relevant research experience
Discipline-Specific Conventions
Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)
- Author order matters (first author, last author = senior)
- Impact factors sometimes included
- Numbered publication lists common
- Conference presentations less weighted than publications
Humanities (History, Literature, Philosophy)
- Single-author publications highly valued
- Book publications crucial
- Conference presentations important
- Public scholarship valued
Social Sciences
- Both solo and collaborative work valued
- Mix of journal articles and books
- Funded research important
- Policy impact valued
CV Length Guidelines
| Career Stage | Expected Length |
|---|---|
| Graduate Student | 2-4 pages |
| Postdoc | 3-6 pages |
| Early Career Faculty | 5-10 pages |
| Mid-Career Faculty | 10-20 pages |
| Senior Faculty | 15-30+ pages |
Rule: Your CV grows throughout your career. Don't pad, but don't artificially constrain length.
Output Format
When creating an academic CV:
markdown# ACADEMIC CV STRUCTURE FOR [NAME] ## Recommended Section Order [Based on position type and field] 1. [Section] 2. [Section] ... ## Section Content ### Education [Formatted education section] ### Publications [Formatted with appropriate style for field] ### [Other Sections] [Formatted content] --- ## Formatting Notes - [Field-specific conventions to follow] - [Style guide recommendations] ## Things to Add/Update - [ ] [Missing item] - [ ] [Item needing update]
Academic CV Checklist
- ✅ Contact information complete (including ORCID if applicable)
- ✅ Education includes all degrees, advisors, dissertations
- ✅ Publications properly formatted with your name highlighted
- ✅ All grants listed with amounts and your role
- ✅ Teaching experience comprehensive
- ✅ Service documented
- ✅ Consistent formatting throughout
- ✅ Reverse chronological order (usually)
- ✅ No unexplained gaps
- ✅ Updated within last 6 months
