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Assistant professor CV example

An academic CV for an assistant professor in the fifth year on the tenure track, a year before the tenure file. Tenure committees and outside letter writers read it for independent funding, papers from your own group, students trained, teaching and service. Each section makes those easy to count.

Assistant professor resume example, page 1 of 2PRISCILLA ADJEIAssistant Professor of Chemistrypriscilla.adjei@example.com | (541) 555-0139 | Eugene, OR | adjeilab.example.comEDUCATIONPh.D. in Chemistry2013 – 2018University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NCB.S. in Chemistry2008 – 2012University of GhanaAccra, GhanaRESEARCH INTERESTSMolecular and materials electrocatalysis for turning carbon dioxide and nitrate into fuels and fertilizers. Mygroup combines synthetic inorganic chemistry, operando spectroscopy and electrochemistry to understandhow catalyst structure controls selectivity, and to design catalysts that work in real wastewater and flue gas.ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTSAssistant ProfessorSep 2021 – PresentDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of OregonEugene, OR•Lead a group of 5 Ph.D. students, 1 postdoc and 4 undergraduates; total external funding $1.3 million asprincipal investigator.Postdoctoral AssociateAug 2018 – Aug 2021Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MASELECTED PUBLICATIONS (* CORRESPONDING AUTHOR)Second-sphere hydrogen bonding steers nitrate reduction to ammonia at cobalt sites2026Journal of the American Chemical Society•L. Moreno, K. Aidoo, S. Tran, P. Adjei*Operando infrared spectroscopy of CO2 reduction intermediates on immobilized molecular2025catalystsACS Catalysis•K. Aidoo, B. Sorensen, P. Adjei*Electrocatalytic nitrate removal from agricultural runoff with a copper molecular catalyst2024Environmental Science & Technology•S. Tran, L. Moreno, P. Adjei*Ligand design rules for selective CO2 to formate conversion2023Chemical Science•P. Adjei*, K. AidooProton relays accelerate CO2 reduction at iron porphyrins (postdoctoral work)2021Nature Chemistry•P. Adjei, H. Wexler, C. DuartePriscilla Adjei · 1 / 2
Assistant professor resume example, page 2 of 2GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPSNSF CAREER Award: Molecular design of selective nitrate reduction catalysts2026National Science Foundation, Division of Chemistry•$660,000, 2026 to 2031. Principal investigator.Doctoral New Investigator Grant2023American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund•$110,000, 2023 to 2025. Principal investigator.Seed grant for water and energy research2022University of Oregon•$50,000. Principal investigator.NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32)2019National Institute of General Medical SciencesTEACHING•General Chemistry I, about 300 students, 4 times since 2022; added weekly low-stakes quizzes and cut theD/F/withdrawal rate from 24% to 15%.•Graduate Inorganic Chemistry, about 20 students, 3 times since 2022; redesigned around primaryliterature.•Research mentoring: 5 Ph.D. students, 1 postdoc and 9 undergraduates (4 co-authors).INVITED TALKS AND SERVICE•Invited talks at 12 universities and 3 national meetings since 2022, including the ACS Fall Meeting, 2025.•Department graduate admissions committee (2022 to present) and diversity committee co-chair (2024 topresent).•Reviewer for NSF panels (2 per year) and 8 journals; outreach lessons for 3 local high schools each year.Priscilla Adjei · 2 / 2
Assistant professorUse this CV

What recruiters look for

  • Independent research: papers from your own lab with you as corresponding author, separated from postdoc and PhD work.
  • Funding as PI: federal and foundation grants with amounts and dates. Early career awards (NSF CAREER, NIH R35 or R01, Sloan and similar) carry special weight.
  • Students trained: Ph.D. students, postdocs and undergraduates, and what they have achieved.
  • Teaching record: courses, sizes, and changes you made that improved results.
  • National visibility: invited talks, review panels and service to the field.

Writing the summary

Research interests should describe your lab’s program, not your postdoc project: the problem, the approach and why your group is distinctive. Write it so a reviewer outside your subfield can follow.

The summary in this example

Molecular and materials electrocatalysis for turning carbon dioxide and nitrate into fuels and fertilizers. My group combines synthetic inorganic chemistry, operando spectroscopy and electrochemistry to understand how catalyst structure controls selectivity, and to design catalysts that work in real wastewater and flue gas.

Assistant professor at a teaching-focused college

I study how soil bacteria tolerate heavy metals, using projects designed so undergraduates can lead them from hypothesis to publication. My research and teaching share one goal: giving students at a primarily undergraduate institution real research experience in their first two years.

Assistant professor in engineering

My group develops low-cost sensors and machine learning methods to monitor water distribution networks for leaks and contamination. We work with three regional utilities, combining laboratory testing with field deployments across 200 miles of pipe.

Bullet points that work

Strong lines for this role, beyond the ones in the example. Borrow the shape and put in your own numbers.

  • Graduated the first Ph.D. student from the lab in 2026, now a postdoctoral fellow at a national laboratory.
  • Raised $1.8 million in external funding in 4 years as principal investigator across 3 agencies.
  • Published 9 papers as corresponding author since joining the faculty, 6 with student first authors.
  • Redesigned a 300-student introductory course with active learning, raising pass rates by 9 points.
  • Built a shared instrumentation facility with 2 colleagues, funded by a $450,000 major instrumentation grant.
  • Served on 6 NSF review panels and as guest editor for a special issue on electrocatalysis.
  • Mentored 12 undergraduates, 5 of whom won summer research fellowships.
  • Started an outreach program that brings 150 high school students a year into university labs.

Skills to list

Hard skills

  • Your field’s core methods
  • Grant writing and management as PI
  • Lab management (budgets, safety, purchasing)
  • Graduate and undergraduate mentoring
  • Course design and assessment
  • Peer review and panel service
  • Scientific writing and editing
  • Instrumentation and facilities

Soft skills

  • Leading a research group
  • Building collaborations
  • Departmental citizenship
  • Communicating with non-specialists

Certifications and licenses worth listing

  • Not applicable for a faculty CV. Teaching certificates (such as a campus teaching academy) can go under Teaching if your institution values them.
  • Professional registrations matter only in fields that require them, such as a PE for engineering faculty who consult.

Length and format

Three to six pages is normal at this stage; the example shows a selection to keep it readable. In a tenure file, list every publication, separate them into before and after the appointment, mark trainees and the corresponding author, and follow your institution’s required format exactly.

Common mistakes

  • Mixing postdoc and independent papers without marking which is which. Committees need to see your lab’s output.
  • Leaving grant amounts, dates or your role out. Reviewers count PI funding.
  • No trainee outcomes. Where your students went is evidence of good mentoring.
  • Teaching listed as course titles only, with no size, frequency or improvement.
  • Ignoring your institution’s CV format for tenure. Many require a specific order and headings.

Questions and answers

How should I mark my students in the publication list?

Many fields use a symbol (such as an underline or a dagger) for trainees and an asterisk for the corresponding author. Explain the symbols in the section title or a footnote.

Should an assistant professor CV include a teaching philosophy?

Not in the CV. Keep it in a separate teaching statement. The CV lists courses, sizes and outcomes.

Do I list grants I applied for but did not get?

Generally no, except in a tenure file that asks for pending and declined proposals. List pending ones as pending.

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