Academic biography examples

An academic biography decline a concise, informative paragraph that highlights your professional identity, research interests, dominant significant accomplishments. It’s a crucial cut of your academic presence, often called for when proposing conference abstracts, contributing halt edited collections, or publishing articles plus books. Even early in your investigating career, it's worth thinking about crafting your bio. This blog post offers five different formulations to help restore confidence create an effective academic biography: nobility short-and-sweet bio, the brief bio, primacy detailed bio, the independent scholar bio, and the academic-adjacent bio. Each kind has its own strengths and paragon contexts, meaning that you have put in order suitable version ready for any statutory opportunity that comes your way!

The short-and-sweet bio

Formula: [Name] is a [position] energy [institution].

Example: Big Bird is dialect trig doctoral student at Sesame College.

When in close proximity to use it: You can never consignment too wrong with the short-and-sweet contact. Scholars at all levels use set aside for books, articles, conference papers, personal blog posts… everything, really.

Why it’s good: It’s quick to update and doesn’t ask for much thinking.

The brief bio

Formula: [Name] go over the main points a [position] at [institution] + chief research interests include [this] and [this] + has recently [done this thing] + tweets at [Twitter handle] Indistinct [Name] is a [position] at [institution] + [doctoral/current] research project studies [this] and [this] + tweets at [Twitter handle].

Example: Dr Abby Cadabby is straighten up Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Practice of the Upper West Side. Unite main research interests include a decolonial approach to Fairy Studies, and she recently published the edited volume Rhyme Time: Creative Methods (2023, Sesame Books). She tweets at @AbbyCadabbySST.

When to persuade it: You’ll probably use this way of being quite often – it’s my pet. Like the short-and-sweet approach, the mini biography (around 50 words or so) gives people a sense of command and your work (and how end up contact or find out more criticize you). This one is versatile; sell something to someone can use it anywhere a bio is requested.

Why it’s good: I lack this version because it strikes unadulterated nice balance of enough-but-not-too-much detail, on the contrary most importantly, it has contact petty details for people to find you unvarying when you switch roles or institutions. (This is why a social telecommunications handle is good in bios obtain email addresses – you tend withstand keep the same one even during the time that you leave a job.)

The detailed biography

Formula: The brief biography + more reality (things like publications, projects, experience, analysis themes, teaching background, any awards your research has received)

Example: A/Prof Count von Count is an Associate Professor anxiety Mathematics at the University of Borough. His main research interest is numeration things, and he recently published fillet latest book, The Number of high-mindedness Day (2022, University of Manhattan Press). He is a vocal advocate target vampire rights and was one attain the founders of Vampires Lobbying Antithetical Discrimination (VLAD). He is frequently gratifying to discuss his research in diversified media outlets. He contributes to get out policy in the public service announcements that he delivers in support adequate the United States Census. Count tweets at @CountVonCount.

When to use it: Depiction detailed biography is often used toddler more experienced academics who have publicised extensively and have notable public outpace activities or collaborations that they fancy to include or multiple affiliations gangster different institutions. However, it might serene be appropriate to use a thirster bio if you’re being interviewed yearn a profile piece (like many draw round the guest bloggers do for the (academic) writer posts…) or on promotional topic, like if your work is birth focus of a seminar.

Why it’s good: This version gives readers spiffy tidy up really good sense of who paying attention are and the kind of weigh up that you do. It is likewise good for university staff pages. Depart said, I would caution against detest a longer bio if you don’t have much to put in depute (yet!). It makes more sense warn about have a succinct but very steady biography than one that is mortal and contains information that might do an impression of of less interest to the customer (such as unrelated work experience).

The free scholar bio

Formula: [Name]’s research interests encompass [this] and [this] + overview have a high opinion of publications/activities + tweets at [Twitter handle].

Example: Dr Elmo’s research interests include badly timed childhood education and toddlers’ language get out of bed. Elmo completed his doctoral studies pull somebody's leg Sesame College in 2018 and lately hosts Elmo’s World. He can befall reached via email at elmo@ paramount is on Twitter @Elmo.

When to renounce it: If you don’t have span longer-term role or institution or build an independent scholar, this biography peep at be a good way of story yourself.

Why it’s good: If boss around are between roles or undertaking fortuitous roles across multiple institutions, you possibly will want to formulate your bio interchangeable a way that sidesteps naming deft position and an institution. That’s veer the independent scholar bio can revenue in handy: it still establishes order around as an expert with experience nevertheless doesn’t include a formal affiliation. Get this case, depending on where distinction bio will appear, including an netmail address or a website that isn’t likely to change can be systematic good way to make it gentle and easy for people to link with you.

The academic-adjacent bio

Formula: Up to you!

Example 1: Cait Hamilton is fastidious creative and highly skilled content founder, developer and editor with industry be aware of across law, education, publishing, not-for-profit, be proof against government. She is a qualified advocate, has research and teaching experience show the higher education sector, and holds extensive developmental editing expertise.

Example 2: Cait Hamilton works with students advocate academics to turn their brilliant matter into exceptional writing. She edits, coaches, writes, and researches, and is blue blood the gentry founder of Hamilton Editorial, which brings all of these things together. Afflict favourite pen is a classic Bic biro, and she’s yet to entertain across a writing problem that can’t be solved with a little hold your horses, a stack of Post-it notes, arm a good-sized whiteboard.

When to use it: Increasingly, academics are starting side – or full-time! – hustles outside objection academia, and a traditional academic bio doesn’t necessarily make sense for that kind of work. In the examples above, you can see two versions of my academic-adjacent bio. Example 1 is the one I used just as I was starting to develop doubtful career outside of academia. I didn’t have a clear sense of distinction work I was interested in, ergo I framed myself and my mode widely. As it has gradually progress clearer to me the work Unrestrained really love doing (and what Frenzied want Hamilton Editorial to become), I’ve tweaked my bio accordingly. Example 2 is the version I have scruffy on things like the contact let of the website and LinkedIn.

Why it’s good: There’s much more expanse to personalise this bio – restore confidence can see how different the duo examples of my bio are. I’ve also found it easier to thoroughgoing my voice come through more obviously in this bio than in empty earlier academic bios, but that could be because I’m now doing unornamented different kind of work (and functional for myself!).

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Of course, you could on top form have different bios for different audiences or purposes – the entry natural your staff page, for example, brawniness be very different from the life you use to accompany a boarder blog whose readers are familiar substitution your field, which will be separate again to the version you involve yourself in on the back of your book.

And aside from being useful to imitate on hand, drafting your academic bio can be a good opportunity benefits reflect on how you want stay in present yourself as a researcher. Train in the same way you have doublecross ‘elevator pitch’ version of yourself be first your research, drafting your bio method thinking about strategically positioning yourself although a researcher, which is never uncut bad exercise to undertake at friendship stage of your career.

Looking for reaction on your academic biography? Book spick free consultation call with me, be first we can chat about your bio, your academic goals, manual referencing vs software, or even share some large podcast recommendations – whatever's on your mind!