Academic CV Template: How to Write a CV for Academia & Research (2026)

An academic CV is fundamentally different from a business CV. It's longer, more detailed, and includes sections that would be irrelevant in the corporate world. Getting the format wrong can cost you a position — even if your research credentials are excellent. ## Academic CV Template An academic CV (sometimes called a "curriculum vitae" in its original Latin sense) is a comprehensive document detailing your scholarly career. Unlike a business CV, there is no page limit. **The complete academic CV structure:** 1. **Contact Information** — Name, institutional affiliation, department, email, phone, ORCID, Google Scholar profile 2. **Research Interests** — 2-4 sentences describing your research focus and methodology 3. **Education** — All degrees, institutions, thesis titles, supervisors, dates 4. **Academic Positions** — Current and previous appointments in reverse chronological order 5. **Publications** — Peer-reviewed articles, books, book chapters, working papers (in field-appropriate citation format) 6. **Conference Presentations** — Invited talks, conference papers, poster presentations 7. **Grants & Funding** — Principal investigator, co-investigator, fellowship amounts 8. **Teaching Experience** — Courses taught, student evaluations, curriculum development 9. **Supervision** — PhD students, Masters students, postdocs supervised 10. **Academic Service** — Journal reviewing, committee membership, editorial boards 11. **Professional Memberships** — Learned societies, professional associations 12. **Awards & Honours** — Academic prizes, fellowships, distinguished achievements 13. **Skills & Languages** — Research methods, software, languages 14. **References** — 3-4 academic referees with full contact details **Length guidelines:** - PhD student / Early career: 3-5 pages - Mid-career researcher: 5-10 pages - Full professor: 10-20+ pages - Nobel laureate: As long as needed **Key difference from business CVs:** In academia, comprehensiveness is valued. Every publication, every conference, every grant matters. Omitting items from your academic CV is unusual and can raise questions. ## CV Resume Template Understanding when to use a CV versus a resume — and how to create a template that works as both. **The CV vs. Resume distinction:** In everyday usage, especially outside the US, "CV" and "resume" are used interchangeably. But technically: - A **CV** is a comprehensive document covering your entire career. Standard in the UK, Europe, academia worldwide. - A **resume** is a targeted 1-2 page document highlighting relevant experience. Standard in the US and Canada for non-academic roles. **When the distinction matters:** | Situation | Use | |-----------|-----| | UK/European job application | CV (1-2 pages) | | US corporate job application | Resume (1 page preferred) | | Academic position (anywhere) | Academic CV (no page limit) | | International organization (UN, WHO) | CV | | Medical position | CV (with registration details) | | US federal government | Resume (can be longer) | **Creating a dual-purpose template:** The smartest approach is to maintain one master document with all your information, then create targeted versions for each application: - **Master CV** (complete, 3-5 pages) — Contains everything. Never sent directly. - **Targeted CV** (2 pages) — Extracted from your master CV, tailored for a specific role - **One-page resume** — For US applications or networking events **The modular template approach:** Structure your master document in modular sections that can be easily included, excluded, or reordered: Section A: Contact Details (always include) Section B: Professional Summary (customize per application) Section C: Work Experience (select most relevant roles) Section D: Education (always include) Section E: Skills (customize to match job description) Section F: Publications (include for academic, exclude for corporate) Section G: Certifications (include when relevant) Section H: Languages (include for international roles) Section I: References (include for academic, "available upon request" for corporate) ## Writing an Academic CV — Step by Step **Step 1: Start with publications** Your publication list is the centrepiece of your academic CV. Organize by type: - **Peer-reviewed journal articles** — In your field's citation format (APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard) - **Books and edited volumes** — Full bibliographic details - **Book chapters** — Chapter title, book title, editors, publisher - **Working papers / preprints** — Include DOI or repository link - **Conference proceedings** — If published in a proceedings volume **Formatting publications:** - Bold your name in author lists so readers can quickly identify your contributions - Include DOI links where available - Mark corresponding authorship or equal contribution - List in reverse chronological order within each category - Include citation counts for highly cited papers (optional but impressive) **Step 2: Detail your teaching** For each course: - Course title and code - Level (undergraduate, masters, PhD) - Role (sole instructor, co-instructor, teaching assistant) - Student numbers - Evaluation scores (if strong) - Any innovations (new curriculum, online delivery, interdisciplinary design) **Step 3: Document grants and funding** For each grant: - Funding body (UKRI, ERC, NSF, NIH, etc.) - Grant title - Your role (PI, Co-PI, Co-I) - Amount (total and your share if Co-I) - Duration - Brief description of the project (1-2 sentences) **Step 4: List academic service** - Journal reviewing (name the journals) - Conference organization (roles held) - Committee memberships (departmental, faculty, university) - External examining - Editorial board memberships - Professional body roles ## Academic CV for Different Career Stages **PhD application CV:** Focus on: education, research interests, relevant coursework, any publications or conference presentations, research experience, language skills, academic references. Keep it to 2-3 pages. If you have no publications yet, that's normal — emphasize your research proposal, methodology training, and any research assistantships. **Postdoc CV:** Focus on: publications (this is now your primary section), research interests, teaching experience, conference activity, methodological skills. 3-5 pages. Your publication list should be growing. Include papers under review and in preparation (clearly marked as such). **Lecturer / Assistant Professor CV:** Focus on: publications, grants secured, teaching portfolio, supervision record, academic service. Evidence of impact (citations, media coverage, policy influence). 5-8 pages. You need to show independence from your PhD supervisor and a developing research programme. **Full Professor CV:** Comprehensive document. Include everything: full publication list, all grants, complete teaching history, supervision record, editorial roles, keynote invitations, awards. 10-20+ pages is normal. Organize with clear section headings for navigability. ## Academic CV vs. Business CV — Key Differences | Feature | Academic CV | Business CV | |---------|-------------|-------------| | Length | No limit | 2 pages max | | Publications | Essential | Never included | | Photo | Sometimes (varies) | No (UK/US) | | References | Included (3-4) | "Available upon request" | | Teaching | Detailed | Rarely mentioned | | Grants | Listed with amounts | Not applicable | | Personal statement | "Research Interests" | "Professional Summary" | | Skills section | Research methods, software | Industry tools, soft skills | | Format | Can be dense | Must be scannable | | ATS optimization | Rarely needed | Critical | ## Tips for Academic CV Success **Tip 1: Keep a running CV** Update your academic CV after every publication, conference, or grant. Don't try to reconstruct your career history from memory. **Tip 2: Use your field's citation format** If you're in psychology, use APA. English literature uses MLA. History uses Chicago. Using the wrong format signals you're an outsider. **Tip 3: Include impact metrics** If you have highly cited papers, mention it. If your research influenced policy, note it. If media covered your work, reference it. **Tip 4: Get feedback from your field** Ask a senior colleague or mentor to review your academic CV. Conventions vary between fields, and an insider's perspective is invaluable. **Tip 5: Don't pad with irrelevant experience** Your part-time retail job during undergrad doesn't belong on an academic CV (unless you're a business school researcher studying retail). Focus on academic and research activities. **Tip 6: Tailor for the specific position** Even in academia, tailoring matters. If you're applying for a teaching-focused role, move Teaching Experience higher. For a research position, lead with Publications and Grants. **Tip 7: Prepare different versions** - Full academic CV (everything) - Short CV (2-3 pages) for grant applications that specify page limits - Bio (1 paragraph) for conference programmes and speaking invitations --- *Whether you're in academia or industry, SUAR helps you create the perfect CV for your target role. AI-powered analysis, ATS optimization, and expert formatting — tailored to your career level.*