Academic CV Example
An academic CV provides a comprehensive record of your research, publications, teaching experience, and contributions to your scholarly discipline.
Recommended template: ProfessionalPro
Key Skills to Include
Quick Tips
- Structure your CV with clear sections for publications, grants, teaching, and service.
- List publications in reverse chronological order using consistent citation formatting.
- Include all grants, fellowships, and awards with funding amounts where appropriate.
- Detail PhD supervision, external examining, and editorial board memberships.
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Upgrade to ProHow to Write Your Academic CV
An academic CV must present a comprehensive record of your scholarly activity, including research, publications, teaching, supervision, grants, and professional service. Unlike industry CVs, academic CVs are expected to be detailed and thorough, documenting your full contribution to your discipline. The structure and emphasis should reflect the expectations of the institution and career stage you are targeting.
CV Structure
Use a comprehensive format with clearly delineated sections for education, academic positions, publications, grants, teaching, supervision, conference presentations, professional service, and any other relevant activities. List items in reverse chronological order within each section. There is no strict page limit — early-career academics typically have three to five pages, while senior academics may have substantially more.
CV Format
Use a clean, academic template with consistent formatting throughout. Publications should follow a standard citation style consistently. Ensure dates, titles, and institutional affiliations are presented clearly. Save as a PDF.
CV Profile Examples
Mid-Career Academic
Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Leeds with twelve years of post-doctoral experience and a strong publication record including two monographs and 28 peer-reviewed journal articles. Research interests centre on migration, social inequality, and urban communities. Secured over £450,000 in research funding from the ESRC and British Academy. Committed to research-led teaching and public engagement.
Early-Career Academic
Lecturer in English Literature at the University of Exeter, appointed following a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Oxford. Published eight peer-reviewed articles and one book chapter on Victorian literature and visual culture. Experienced in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, dissertation supervision, and module development. Seeking opportunities for collaborative research and interdisciplinary teaching.
Research-Intensive Academic
Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Imperial College London with an internationally recognised research programme in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Published over 120 peer-reviewed papers with an h-index of 42. Secured £3.2M in grant income from EPSRC, Wellcome Trust, and industry partners. Supervised 14 PhD students to successful completion and led a research group of 12.
Summarise your academic position, research interests, and key achievements in three to four sentences. Mention your publication count, grant income, and supervision record. State your career aspirations if applying for a specific position.
Key Skills for Your Academic CV
Research
Conducting original scholarly research using appropriate methodologies to generate new knowledge in a specialist field.
Academic Writing
Producing peer-reviewed journal articles, monographs, and book chapters that contribute to scholarly discourse.
Peer-Reviewed Publishing
Navigating the journal submission and peer review process, responding to reviewers, and revising manuscripts.
Teaching & Lecturing
Delivering undergraduate and postgraduate teaching through lectures, seminars, and tutorials with effective pedagogy.
Grant Writing
Preparing competitive research funding applications for research councils, charities, and industry partners.
PhD Supervision
Guiding doctoral researchers from project design through to thesis submission and viva examination.
Conference Presentations
Presenting research findings at national and international academic conferences through papers and poster presentations.
Curriculum Design
Developing module content, learning outcomes, and assessment strategies aligned with programme aims and QAA benchmarks.
Academic Service
Contributing to departmental administration, committee work, and the academic community through peer review and external examining.
Work Experience Examples
Detail each academic position with the institution, dates, and a description of your research, teaching, and administrative responsibilities. Include specific achievements such as publications produced, grants secured, or teaching awards received during each appointment.
Senior Lecturer in Sociology
University of Leeds, School of Sociology and Social Policy
Conducted research and delivered teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in sociology, with a focus on migration, inequality, and urban studies.
Responsibilities
- Designed and delivered two undergraduate modules and one postgraduate module, receiving consistently high student evaluation scores.
- Supervised eight PhD students across topics related to migration, community cohesion, and social mobility.
- Led a three-year ESRC-funded research project (£280,000) investigating the experiences of migrant communities in northern English cities.
- Served as a peer reviewer for five leading sociology journals and as an external examiner for two UK universities.
- Contributed to departmental administration as admissions tutor for the MA Sociology programme.
Achievements
- Published two monographs with Oxford University Press and Routledge, both receiving positive reviews in leading journals.
- Awarded the Faculty Teaching Prize for innovative assessment methods in the undergraduate migration module.
- Research findings were cited in a parliamentary inquiry into community cohesion policy.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
University of Manchester, Cathie Marsh Institute
Conducted quantitative social research as part of an ESRC-funded programme examining longitudinal patterns of social mobility in the UK.
Responsibilities
- Analysed large-scale survey data using Stata and R, applying multilevel modelling and longitudinal analysis techniques.
- Published four peer-reviewed articles in top-tier sociology journals as first or co-first author.
- Presented research findings at six international conferences including the European Sociological Association and British Sociological Association annual meetings.
- Contributed to the preparation of three successful grant applications totalling £170,000.
Achievements
- First-authored a paper in the British Journal of Sociology that was selected as an Editor's Choice article.
- Received a commendation from the research programme director for the quality and timeliness of data analysis outputs.
Education & Qualifications
List your PhD with thesis title, supervisor, and institution. Follow with your masters and undergraduate degrees. Include any postdoctoral fellowships or visiting positions.
PhD
A doctoral degree demonstrating the ability to conduct original research and contribute to scholarly knowledge.
FHEA/SFHEA
Fellowship or Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, demonstrating commitment to teaching excellence.
Postgraduate Certificate in HE
A teaching qualification for higher education professionals, often required for probationary lecturers.
Postdoctoral Fellowship
A funded research position providing independent research experience after doctoral completion.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should an academic CV be?
How should I list publications on my academic CV?
Should I include grants I applied for but did not receive?
How do I demonstrate teaching quality on an academic CV?
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