---
name: Academic CV Builder
description: Format CVs for academic positions with publications, grants, and teaching
---

# 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:**
1. Publications (especially recent, high-impact)
2. Grants (especially independent funding)
3. Research trajectory and vision
4. Teaching experience
5. Mentoring record

### Postdoctoral Position

**Emphasize:**
1. Publications (from PhD and postdoc)
2. Research experience and skills
3. Collaboration experience
4. Future research potential
5. Any funding/fellowships

### Lecturer/Teaching Faculty

**Emphasize:**
1. Teaching experience (courses, evaluations)
2. Course development
3. Pedagogical training
4. Mentoring undergraduates
5. Teaching awards

### Research Scientist

**Emphasize:**
1. Publications
2. Technical skills
3. Grant writing experience
4. Collaboration record
5. 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